


I found love where it wasn't supposed to be.

by IAmTheNightman98



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comfort/Support, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Multi Chapter, Phone Sex, Pregnant Sex, Slow Burn, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-12-18 03:58:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18241913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmTheNightman98/pseuds/IAmTheNightman98
Summary: When Jaime's roommate Brienne tells him that she's pregnant and the father of her child is nowhere to be found, Jaime decides its time step up and support his friend. Little does he know that her pregnancy is going to change their relationship in ways he cannot yet imagine.Little does he know, supporting her without getting emotionally invested is easier said than done.Rating has been changed to E





	1. The day that everything changed.

Jaime tried to resist the urge to rub his aching muscles on his walk back from the gym. It was around noon and the light spring breeze tousled his golden locks in a just the right way, sending a chill down his spine as a welcome contrast to his post workout warmth.

 

He’d been visiting the gym for around nine months, ever since he’d made the decision to cancel his physiotherapy sessions. He decided at that time that it was time to face up to the reality that he’d lost his hand. No amount of physiotherapy was going to change that. He hated feeling like an invalid in his sessions, like he was starting from scratch. 

 

So, he’d told the therapist where to go and joined the local gym. He would likely never be able to workout the way he used to, but he took pride in the fact that at 42 and with one hand, he managed to keep himself in good shape. Not that it mattered, he hadn’t gotten laid since way before the accident so there was nobody around to appreciate it. 

 

It had been over a year since the car accident that had changed his life. Taken his hand. Taken everything, really. He still couldn’t think of that night without breaking out into a cold sweat. It had been suggested to him that he partake in regular therapy in addition to his physical rehabilitation, but he’d never made it through the office door before turning around. He’d never told that story to anyone, he wasn’t about to go blurting it out to every fool with a medical degree. 

 

The stump of his right arm ached, a dull, phantom itch on the palm that he could never touch, reminding him to push the thoughts back into the recess of his mind. He pulled his gym bag strap tighter over his shoulder then took out his phone to check if Brienne had replied to his text.

 

When he’d first moved in to Brienne’s apartment, not long after his accident, he’d found her to be the most boring, ungainly woman he’d ever met. But something about her perplexed him so much that he refused to leave her be. He was convinced that at any given moment she was only showing him a small portion of her true self. She only showed him what she wanted him to see. But he thought for sure that he would uncover the rest. Maybe she was a secret opera singer, or a dominatrix, or a mass murderer. Either way, he would find out. 

 

He’d messaged her asking what type of beer and junk food she wanted that evening, but she hadn’t replied in time so he’d just chosen his favourite. He knew that she wasn’t particularly fond of what he usually chose, but she hadn’t replied in time so she would have to make do. It had become somewhat of a routine of theirs to drink beers with snacks and watch crappy films on a Saturday night, given the fact that neither of them had much of a social life.

 

At first, the thought that his only option was spending his weekends in the flat with his dull roommate seemed like some sort of cosmic joke, but he now found himself quite fond of their arrangement. He’d learnt that, under the right circumstances, she was actually quite witty. They had a little more in common that he’d first thought and somewhere underneath her mulish form there was a real person. 

 

He smirked, fondly remembering the time he’d caught her signing with her headphones in as she washed the dishes, the first indication he’d had that there was some life in her, as he approached their building. When he’d first seen the building, around an hour before he’d agreed to move in, he was convinced he would hate living in such squalor. 

 

The building was around six stories high, with four flats on each floor, which was rather small by King’s Landing’s standards. Their apartment was on the fifth floor, and the lift was rarely in service which resulted in a daily slog up the stairs that wreaked havoc on Jaime’s knees. The communal area was dated and worn, but overall kept clean so he couldn’t complain. Over time, just has he had with his unconventional roommate, he had grown to appreciate their apartment building. 

 

After making the climb up the multitude of stairs, Jaime set his gym bag and the bag containing their beer and snacks down on the floor so that he could fish out his keys. One of the many perils of having only one hand was that he had to set his things down, unlock the door, wedge it open with his foot, lean over to pick up the bags, then enter. But before he’d managed to grab his bags, he heard a sound that stopped him in his tracks. 

 

It was the distinct, albeit muffled, sound of crying. He fumbled to drag his bags through the door, then dropped his keys into the dish and toed of his shoes. He stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment, trying to decide what he ought to do.

 

“I’m back.” He called out, giving Brienne a chance to compose herself lest she be embarrassed, but the crying didn’t stop. Jame knew this was bad news. He’d seen almost the full spectrum of emotions from her throughout their year of living together, but he had only ever heard her cry once. 

 

-x-

 

_ Jaime had just arrived home from driving aimlessly around the outskirts of King’s Landing on a lazy Sunday afternoon. His recent decision to distance himself from his toxic family freed him from his obligation to attend the Lannister Sunday dinner and there was only so long he could fire relentless questions at Brienne, so he had very little else to do. After his drive he was just about ready to shower, throw on some comfy clothes and not move from in front of the television for the rest of the night. That was until he was greeted home by the sound of sobbing coming from Brienne’s bedroom.  _

 

_ Jaime had moved in with Brienne around four weeks previously after seeing her advertisement. In hindsight, he realised that he probably should’ve taken more than an hour after meeting her to deliberate before agreeing to move in with the most boring woman he’d ever had the misfortune to meet. His only source of entertainment came from relentlessly teasing her and watching her face form a bitter scowl, a scowl which never quite reached her magnificent blue eyes,.  _

 

_ Selfishly, as he listened to her sobs, he thought about how inconvenient it was for her to be crying so loudly right now. There was no way he’d be able to enjoy back to back episodes of The Walking Dead with this racket, however he quickly chided himself for this thought. She was still a woman who was clearly upset, after all.  _

 

_ “Wench, it’s me. Are you alright?” Jaime said awkwardly, tapping his knuckles on the door. The unmistakable sound of something heavy being flung at the door swiftly followed, so Jaime decided to leave her for the time being.  _

 

_ He showered and changed into some comfortable clothes, then pottered around his bedroom, feeling too awkward to put the television on whilst the sound of Brienne’s crying filled the apartment. After around an hour or so, the crying finally subsided.  _

 

_ It had been four weeks since he moved in with Brienne, and he was certain that one of the only things he knew about her other than her name and the fact that she worked at an architecture firm was that she liked Chinese food. So, that evening when he got hungry he grabbed one of the menus from the drawer in the coffee table, attached a sticky note with a question mark drawn on it, and slid it under her bedroom door.  _

 

_ When he walked past again, he saw both the menu and the note had been slid back with no counter message attached. He took that as a no and so ordered himself some food, throwing in an extra order of special fried rice incase she changed her mind later.  _

 

_ Before he had finished his food, the crying had started again.  _

 

_ “Can I do anything?” Jamie asked softly, knocking on her door once more. Her crying didn’t stop, nor did she offer him any response. “Look, I can hardly relax while you’re in there wailing like a banshee, so I’m just going to stay here until you tell me what’s wrong.” Jamie huffed, sinking down to sit on the floor outside of her door. The ache in his knees was a taunting reminder that his age was starting to get the better of him, so he really hoped she called his bluff before too long.  _

 

_ After a few minutes he heard the crying turn to sniffles, and the squeak of the bed frame followed by shuffling across the floor. Jamie awkwardly pushed himself off the floor, which was a lot harder than it looked with only one hand, and stood in anticipation of her opening the door.  _

 

_ Jamie almost flinched when he saw her standing there. She wasn’t exactly attractive under ordinary circumstances, but she looked especially awful today. Her cheeks were puffy and red from crying and her thin blond hair was matted to her head with sweat. The light coat of mascara she wore occasionally coated her eyes in thick black rings and her raggedy old t-shirt and flannel pyjamas only served to make her look more of a mess. Jamie stared at her wordlessly, not feeling it an appropriate time to crack a joke or insult her.  _

 

_ “My father has died.” Brienne said. Her tone was cold and unfeeling, but her hands were shaking and her lip quivered as she spoke. Jamie’s breath caught in his throat for a second, before he reached out his hand to her arm. He didn’t really know what he was doing, just that he felt he needed to comfort her. _

 

_ “Don’t.” She muttered, flinching and looking away. Jamie felt helpless and wished he knew what to do to help her. His eyes scanned her face once more and all he could think about was how young she looked. He’d never asked her age and she’d never volunteered the information, but in that moment she looked like a child. Lost and scared.  _

 

_ “What can I do, Brienne.” He said softly, calling her by her name for the first time since he moved in.  _

 

_ “I just want to be left alone.” She whispered, moving to close her bedroom door. “I’m sorry about the noise.” She said, before closing the door completely.  _

 

_ ‘Fuck the noise’, Jamie wanted to tell her. ‘Make as much noise as you possibly can. I don’t care,’ he wished he could yell. But he didn’t. He just retreated back to his bedroom and shed a silent tear or two for his grieving roommate.  _

 

_ In the few weeks following her father’s death, Jamie held off on the insults and jokes at her expense. When he cooked he’d make extra for her. He threw her laundry in with his and alway made sure he asked about her day. When Brienne started to feel more like herself again, he found it easier to just keep things as they were than go back to the insults and bickering. And that, he supposed, was the start of their tentative friendship.  _

 

-x-

 

After realising that her crying wasn’t going to stop, he decided he needed to go and check on her. He made his way swiftly through the living room and down the corridor which lead to both of their bedrooms, then knocked lightly on her door. 

 

“It’s me.” He said pointlessly, as he knew she would have no reason to think anyone else would be in their home. He felt uncomfortable and shifted back and forth on his feet, waiting for her reply. When the crying didn’t subside, his worry increased. He dreaded facing a repeat of last time, when he spent all day worrying about her, so he decided he could do better than just standing around aimlessly. 

 

“You’d better be decent because I’m coming in.” Jamie said in as soft a tone as he could muster. He gave her a moment to say no, then another few for good measure, then slowly pushed the door open.

 

When the door opened, he looked around her room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. He’d been in there once or twice, as he checked on her in the weeks following her father's death, but aside from that he’d had no reason to enter. The room was neat and organised, as was the rest of their apartment, but he noticed a shattered glass on the floor by the wall, which he made a mental note of to clean up later.

 

His eyes glanced over to her large double bed which sat in the middle of the room and he almost laughed slightly when he saw the tufts of blonde hair sticking out from under a big pile of blankets and bedding, before remembering why he was there in the first place. He walked over to the edge of her bed and gingerly sat down around two feet away from where her head lay. 

 

“Out with it then.” Jamie laughed slightly, trying in vain to break the tension. Brienne slowly pushed the blankets away from her, sitting up and bringing her knees to her chest. She looked equally as awful as she had the last time he’d seen her crying, but he didn’t comment, he just stared intently at her, waiting for her to speak.

 

“I’m pregnant.” She muttered, breaking eye contact and stuttering slightly. A fresh set of tears sprung to her eyes and he fought the urge to reach out and place his hand on her shoulder.  

 

“Oh.” He had not expected that. He knew, without having to ask, who was the father of her baby.

 

He recalled in disgust how she had come home after a date just over a month ago, her face burning with the fury of a thousand suns.

 

She’d met a guy whilst having a drink in their local pub with her friend. He’d asked for her number and offered to take on her date the very next day. When she’d told him, Jaime could tell she was trying to act casual, but her blushing red cheeks gave her excitement away. He’d almost felt a sense of pride when he watched her leaving their flat in her skimpiest blouse and sexy heels. 

 

When she got home however, she slammed the door behind herself and tore through the flat to her bedroom like a hurricane. He followed her and she’d told him through gritted teeth how the guy who’d asked her out had done it for a bet. And then he’d slept with her for a bet. He’d kicked her out once the deed was done, and it was Jaime who was left to clean up her bloody knuckles after she’d punched a wall on her way home. 

 

The only positive part of the entire experience had been when Jaime decided to track the guy down and punch out two of his teeth.

 

“Is it-” Jaime started, but she cut him off. 

 

“Yes it’s his.” She snapped. Jamie paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. He knew Brienne. He knew she didn’t need to hear how everything was going to be okay, or that he was there for her. She, like him, valued actions over words. 

 

“Why don’t you put on some pyjamas and I’ll order us some food? Nothing will change today, no matter how much you cry.” He smirked at her and surprisingly, she smiled softly back. 

 

As her left her room and carefully shut the door behind him, he realised something very important. For the first time in his life, he was going to have to step up and take care of someone other than himself or his family. Of course, Brienne would never ask him for help. In fact, she would probably shout down the mere suggestion that she needed assistance of any kind. But Jaime knew that this was going to be a difficult process for her, and what other support would she have? 


	2. Chapter 2

Jaime was very quick to realise that his expectation of becoming Brienne’s knight in shining armour, who took her to the farmers market for healthy foods or sat by her side at her doctors appointments, was going to be hard to achieve, since Brienne didn’t seem to want to talk to him about her pregnancy.

 

After he’d left her room and ordered pizzas like he said he would, he sat anxiously on the sofa waiting for her. He’d prepared himself for a very emotional conversation about how she was his best friend and he was going to be there for her no matter what, but when she left her room in a fresh set of pyjamas, she smiled and sat down next to him as though nothing had happened. 

 

She wasn’t exactly her usual self and he could practically hear her overthinking as she sat with her legs crossed, chewing her fingernails, but she seemed as normal as she could be given the fact that she’d been crying not long ago. He opened his mouth to speak a few times but decided against it. If she didn’t want to speak to him, there was no changing her mind. So, he would have to wait. 

 

She let him pick the film, shrugging her shoulders when he asked for her choice, so he picked the first thing he saw. He suspected that neither of them would actually be paying attention. Once or twice, he pretended not to notice her subtly swiping tears from under her eye, but the fingers of his left hand itched to reach out and hold hers. 

 

He spent more time looking at her than watching the film. He found it amusing to see how a woman taller than himself was able to fold herself up into such a small shape. She looked like a tangled mass of limbs, with her knees crossed and pulled up to her chest and her arms folded over them.

 

He couldn’t imagine her toned, muscular body with child. He’d seen her abdomen a handful of times in the kitchen if she reached something from a high cupboard in the kitchen and her t shirt had ridden up, so he knew that she had chiseled muscles that practically rivalled his own. He found the idea of her with the swell of pregnancy to be frankly unimaginable. 

 

He also found it hard to picture her as a mother. She could probably hold a newborn baby in just one of her large, masculine hands. She had no tits to speak of, so when she cradled a baby he imagined its head would rest on her flat, stiff chest. He doubted that she had a single maternal bone in her body. He knew she’d grown up without her mother, so he didn’t blame her. 

 

Maybe she would surprise him. 

 

Maybe he would surprise himself and stop being such a cynical old bastard. Who was he to assume that she wouldn’t be the best damn mother in the world? 

 

As he continued to watch the film, he realised that one of the biggest ways in which he could help Brienne would be to move out of her apartment. Selfishly, he thought about how much of a pain it would be for him to find somewhere else to live. Where else in Kings Landing could he find a decent sized place with reasonable rent and only one roommate? But when her baby arrived the last thing she would need would be him still around getting in the way. 

 

-x- 

 

It wasn’t until the following Friday evening when Jaime finally forced himself to start looking for somewhere new to live. She couldn’t have been more than five weeks pregnant at most, so it was possible he was acting prematurely, but he figure there was no sense in drawing out the inevitable. Maybe after he’d moved out he could help her turn his old room into a nursery. 

 

He sat on the sofa scrolling through spare room listings on his laptop with his feet up on the coffee table. He had around half an hour before Brienne got home from work and she would tell him to get his feet down, so he intended to make the most of it. 

 

As he scrolled through the listings he groaned with each passing ad. Too expensive. Too far away. Too small. Gods, why did he have to leave? Maybe he should stay and help her raise the child. He could be her nanny. He laughed aloud at the thought, recalling the time he’d been forced to hold his sisters son and had lasted less than a minute. 

 

He paused his search to take a sip of his beer which sat on the coffee table by his feet. He didn’t usually drink through the week, but they had left over beers from the Saturday before, since Brienne wasn’t drinking. He felt a sudden pang of guilt as he remembered how selfish he’d been in choosing his favourites even though he knew she didn’t like them. Gods, he really was a prick wasn’t he? It also made him sad that he wouldn’t get to make it up to her and buy her a beer she enjoyed for quite some time. 

 

He set down the beer and went back to scrolling through ads, but lasted no more than ten minutes before getting bored and opening up a new tab, deciding to check the cricket scores instead.  

 

He jumped with a start when he heard Brienne coming through the door to the apartment. He quickly took his feet from the coffee table and sat up a little straighter. 

 

“Hey.” She called to him from the hallway as he heard her taking off her coat and shoes. “Good day?” She asked as he padded in to the living room in her bare feet and walked round the back of the sofa towards the kitchen doorway. 

 

“Meh.” He grunted, shrugging his shoulders and flashing her a lopsided grin. 

 

As he heard her clanging around in the kitchen with all the grace of a bull in a china shop, he thought about how insensitive it might have been for him to drink the beers whilst she couldn’t and he blushed sheepishly. 

 

“Renely finally appraised my work today.” She told him from the kitchen. “He said my plans are miles ahead of the rest of the team’s.” She beamed as she made her way back out of the kitchen carrying a glass of water and some cherries in a bowl. 

 

When she had first started working at Highgarden Landscaping and Architecture, Jaime had hated how much she’d fawned over her boss Renely. Frankly, it was just annoying. But the more she spoke about him, he realised her admiration of him had come from years of following his work and not just a desire to suck up to her boss. 

 

“Well done, wench.” He told her with a smirk as she sat down on the couch beside him. What was once a taunting nickname had slowly become a semi-affectionate jab between friends, so he didn’t feel bad about using it anymore. Not that he ever felt bad when he’d been taunting her.

 

He briefly wondered how her pregnancy would affect her job at the company, but didn’t dare ask. He found the thought of her surveying a building for a redesign with an infant strapped to her chest to be highly amusing.  

 

“He said he might even have a client for me before too long. Nothing special, just a hotel that needs their roof garden remodelling, but I need something for the portfolio and it’s a start.”  He could tell she was trying to be modest and the delicate, self-satisfied smile on her face did not go unnoticed. 

 

“Maybe we should celebrate?” He suggested, leaning over his laptop screen to steal one of the cherries from her bowl. 

 

She laughed slightly and rolled her eyes. “Sure.” She said, swatting his hand away as he went for another cherry. 

 

“Wait no, I want to show you something.” He said, taking another cherry from the bowl and plucking off the stem. Gods, he hoped he remembered how to do this. 

 

He took the cherry stem into his mouth, twirled his tongue, then took it from between his teeth with his fingers. But as he held it up triumphantly towards her, he saw her eyebrow quirk and realised he’d failed. 

 

“Fuck, I meant to tie it in a knot.” He laughed, feeling a red blush on his cheeks as he looked at the straight cherry stem in his hand. 

 

“You mean like this?” She smirked, taking a cherry stem and popping it into her own mouth. After a moment of intense concentration, her mouth dropped open, revealing the knotted cherry stem laying on her tongue. 

 

Jaime gulped nervously. He wondered if her tongue had any other skills. He’d never found her even remotely attractive, but he was still a warm blooded male with a cock after all. Gods, he needed to get laid more often. Or at all. 

 

“Um yeah. Like that.” He stammered, attempting to hide the fact that he felt like a flustered schoolboy. “Let me try again.” He smirked, setting his laptop down on the coffee table and lunging for the bowl, but as he got close, Brienne furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and pulled the bowl away. He went to lean again, but then he noticed that she was looking at his laptop. 

 

“Are you moving out?” She said, with an unmistakable look of hurt in her eyes. 

 

“Oh um.” Jaime started, unsure of how to explain if she didn’t understand. “Well, I didn’t think you’d want me around once the baby arrives. I guessed you’d need my room back.” He shrugged, and Brienne narrowed her eyebrows in anger. 

 

“I’m not keeping it.” She snapped venomously and slammed her glass and bowl down onto the sofa before getting up and walking away from him. 

 

“Fuck. I’m sorry.” He stammered, shutting his laptop and getting up from the couch. “I shouldn’t have assumed.”

 

“No, you shouldn’t.” She said, turning to walk down the corridor and into her bedroom. 

 

“Hold on.” Jaime followed her, catching up with her before she entered her bedroom and placing a tentative hand on her upper arm. He shuffled awkwardly on his feet as she glared at him expectantly. “Just um- Tell me when you’re going to the doctors. I’ll drive you.”

 

He knew she didn’t drive and he hated the thought of her having to go alone on the tube for something like this, but her eyebrows furrowed once more. 

 

“I’m not having an abortion either, Jaime.” She said, shrugging her arm away, entering her bedroom and slamming the door behind her.

 

Jaime stared at her door for a moment before retreating sheepishly back into his own room and flopping back onto his bed. Gods he was a fool. All he wanted to do was help, but he’d clearly upset her. Despite his guilt however, he was beyond confused about how she could possibly be neither keeping nor terminating her pregnancy until his door flung open a few minutes later. 

 

She stood in his doorway holding something in her hands and stepped in before he’d even opened his mouth. She stepped towards his bed and thrust a handful of what looked like brochures into his lap, so he sat up to look at them. 

 

“I’m looking into adoption.” She said, not meeting his eye as he skimmed through the brochures. He fought off the urge to smirk slightly, she’d only known she was pregnant for a week and she was already organised with research and brochures. He looked at her awkwardly as she stood waiting for his response, then he patted the space next to him for her to sit down. 

 

She looked at him sceptically for a brief moment before giving in and sitting down beside him. As she sat down their knees brushed slightly and neither moved away. 

 

“How do you feel about that?” He asked awkwardly and she barked out a laugh. 

 

“Gods Jaime, you sound like a therapist.” She laughed again and he smiled too. He went to open his mouth to speak again but she groaned in frustration and flopped back onto the bed with her legs dangling over the edge. 

 

“I don’t know. It feels like the right thing to do. Everything else just feels wrong.” She groaned, staring up at his ceiling. He smirked and fell down beside her, looking up at the ceiling too. 

 

“You don’t have to decide right away Take your time.” He reassured her. Suddenly, he was very aware of the fact that she was on his bed, her shoulder inches away from his. 

 

“What if I make the wrong choice?”

 

“You won’t.”

 

“You can’t be sure.” She countered quickly and he smirked. 

 

“I can be, because I know you. You’ll take your time and consider all your options and weight up the pros and cons.” He paused before continuing. “And then you’ll follow your heart regardless.”

 

She sighed deeply and he was sure in that moment that if the hand of his right arm that lay between them wasn’t missing, he would’ve reached out for her. Gods, this whole situation was turning him into a sentimental fool. Could you get hormonal simply by living in the same flat as a pregnant woman?

 

“I never thought this would happen to me.” She said softly. “You must think I’m a whore.” 

 

He turned quickly onto his side and face her and propped himself up on his arm. “Is that what you think? Because I can promise you now that I don’t.” He said firmly, and she smiled softly, turning to face him too. “Whatever you choose, I’m here in whatever sense you need. If you need me to drive you to appointments or buy you junk food, or if you just need me to fuck off and leave you alone, I’ll do it.”

 

She looked as though she may speak for a moment and he could see the glassy sheen in her eyes, but instead she breathed deeply and lay back down on the bed. 

 

“I hate your bedsheets by the way.” She smirked and he took that as a sign she was done talking about her pregnancy. He rolled his eyes, of course she hated his sheets. They were deep, luxurious silk, nothing like the bland cotton he remembered from her room. 

 

“No you don’t.” He teased. And, fuck. Was he flirting? His mind wandered to outrageous thoughts of her on the other side of said sheets, before he quickly suppressed the thought. First the cherry stem and now this? He needed to get out more. 

 

“I’m going to go change.” She sighed, pushing herself up off the bed. His eyes followed her as she walked towards the doorway but he made no effort to move.

 

“Do you have plans tonight?” She asked and he let out a sharp laugh. 

 

“Do I ever?” 

 

“Good. You can pick the film then.” 

 

“It’s a date.” He smirked, but then cringed at his choice of words when a blush spread across her cheeks. 

 

“Oh and Jaime? Thanks for um- what you said. It means a lot.” She smiled bashfully and looked down at the ground. 

 

“Of course.” He smiled back fought back a blush of his own. 

 

After she’d left and the door was closed he groaned and ran his hand through his hair. What in the name of the Seven was happening?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days?! 
> 
> I plan on most updates being every few days and a little longer than the first two, but I thought I would release the first few chapters close together, so that I can build up a little following for the fic before i get into the thick of it.
> 
> Please let me know if you're enjoying the work, its very encouraging to hear feedback!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things heat up a little as Jaime grapples with what’s he really wants from his friendship with Brienne.

Grocery shopping was one of the few household chores that Jaime actually enjoyed doing, which is why he volunteered to do their weekly shop almost every time. Brienne, on the other hand was incredibly impatient in the supermarket, often resulting in her buying way too much of one thing, or completely forgetting another, hence the fact she never came with him. 

Jaime usually visited the supermarket early on a Saturday morning, when there was nobody around. He could go before the gym, which gave him somewhat of a structure to his otherwise embarrassingly empty weekends. He enjoyed the time to think as he leisurely pushed the cart through the isles. But today he’d overslept and so found himself in the midst of a very busy, bustling supermarket. This was not relaxing one bit. 

Since he’d found out Brienne was pregnant a few weeks ago, he couldn’t help himself choosing the healthier options as he shopped. She hadn’t asked him to, and he didn’t strictly think he was doing it on purpose. He just happened to find himself picking the low fat cheese, or extra fruit instead of pretzels. This week was no different. He’d been in the shop for ten minutes and all he had picked up so far was some overly healthy granola and a bag of apples. 

He was interrupted from his internal debate over whether to buy cows milk or soy milk when his phone rang in his pocket. He fished it out, hooking his right forearm over the cart so that it didn’t roll away and answered the call. 

“Brother dear, I have to tell you about the woman I met last night. She might possibly be the most gorgeous women in the world.” 

“Hello to you too, Tyrion.” Jaime sighed, rolling his eyes. He had a good relationship with his brother, which was unusual for their family, but the majority of their phone calls followed the same script. Tyrion would call and tell Jaime about his latest girlfriend’s tits, then tease him relentlessly for not having had sex in over a year. Then they would make plans to see each other soon that never ended up happening. 

Jaime shifted his phone and wedged it between his ear and his shoulder so that he could keep shopping. Honestly, he was barely listening to Tyrion speaking, just agreeing in all the right places whilst he considered whether to get chicken breast or chicken thighs. 

“Jaime I know you’re not listening.” Tyrion said after a another few minutes, snapping Jaime out of his thoughts. 

“Sorry. I’m trying to decide whether to buy salmon or not.” 

“Why in gods name is that something you’re thinking about? Just buy the salmon.” Tyrion laughed loudly and Jaime flinched away from the noise, almost dropping his phone. 

“I think I read somewhere that pregnant women can’t eat fish. Or are supposed to eat more fish. It’s one or the other.” Jaime sighed. 

“Well luckily, last time I checked, you were not a pregnant woman.” Tyrion laughed and Jaime rolled his eyes 

“It’s for Brienne.” He replied, but then quickly wondered if he was allowed to tell people. Not that it mattered, since Tyrion and Brienne had never met and were not likely to meet any time soon. 

“Brienne who? Your landlord?” 

“She’s my roommate not my landlord. But yes, it’s her.”

“She owns the apartment doesn’t she? You pay your rent to her. That makes her your landlord.” Tyrion said and Jaime could practically hear him smirking. “So, are you her live in nanny now or something?” 

“No. It’s a long story, I don’t have time to explain right now.” Jaime groaned, not wishing to the go into the ins and outs of how Brienne was pregnant by a stranger and was keeping the baby to give up for adoption whilst standing in the middle of a supermarket. 

“Will you do me a favour and look up whether pregnant women can eat salmon?”

After a short pause, presumably whilst Tyrion searched his question, he replied. “The general consensus is yes, although not raw.” 

Jaime had no intention of serving her raw salmon, so he picked up two servings and dropped them into the cart. 

“Why are you the one buying her salmon anyways, doesn’t she have a boyfriend or something?”

“Like I said, it’s a long story.” Jaime sighed. 

“Is she one of those middle aged women who have IVF alone thinking it will be their last chance to be a mother.” Tyrion laughed and Jaime was oddly offended on Brienne’s behalf, even though it wasn’t true. 

“Certainly not. This baby was conceived the old fashioned way. But besides, Brienne is not middle aged. Not by a long shot.” 

“Oh. I always just assumed she was the same age as you.”

“Hey now, I’m not middle aged.” Jaime laughed, with a slight edge of warning to his voice. 

“You’re forty two, that’s practically ancient.” Tyrion retorted, but continued before Jaime had the chance to reply. “So, how old is she then?”

“Um.” Jaime started, but paused. He genuinely didn’t know. She looked a lot younger than him, so he guessed in her early to mid thirties. But she owned their flat outright, so maybe she was older than he thought. He felt like an ass for not knowing.

“Gods, you’ve lived with this woman for over a year and you don’t even know how old she is. Do you even talk to her?”

“Of course I talk to her. We’re friends. It just never came up and I can’t exactly ask now can I?” Jamie groaned in frustration. 

“So, she’s young and hot. Thats why youre helping her? Maybe this year will finally be the year you poor cock gets used.” Tyrion laughed and Jaime felt a flash of anger. Why couldn’t he just be helping his roommate for the sake of kindness? Why did Tyrion assume he had to be getting something out of it. 

“She’s not hot at all. I’m just trying to be a decent guy.” Jaime muttered, but regretted his words straight away. That was unnecessarily cruel. 

“Whatever you say. Anyways, I have to go now, just don’t come crying to me when she breaks your fragile little lion heart.” Tyrion said mockingly, ending the call and leaving Jaime to try and figure out what he meant. 

-x-

Jaime waited for Brienne by his car in their buildings car park, fiddling with his keys. She always came down to help him with the shopping bags after he’d been to the supermarket since it would take him at least three trips to carry up the bags alone. 

When she made the sprint from the doorway to the car, his eyes almost bulged out of his head. She was wearing tight black leggings and a blue tank, nothing different from her usual casual attire. The difference however, was that her breasts were easily twice their normal size. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but they were definitely more prominent than they usually were. This was a very unexpected perk to her being pregnant. 

He fumbled with his keys to open the boot, attempting to hide the fact he’d been ogling her. 

“How was the shop?” She asked, pulling the first few bags out of the car. He watched her biceps flex as she looped three over each arm like it was nothing. 

“Um. Busy.” He stammered, but she seemed not to notice that he was flustered. He picked up a few bags of his own, shut the boot and trailed behind her up the stairs into the apartment. 

“I need to ask you a huge favour.” She asked, looking over her shoulder to look at him as they reached the third floor. He raised his eyebrow questioningly, allowing her to elaborate. 

“It’s your lavender body wash.” She said hesitantly, and he groaned loudly. 

“Seriously?” He groaned again. 

Brienne had not only been having terrible morning sickness, she’d also found that certain scents would trigger her sickness terribly. Last week it had been the air freshener in the bathroom, the week before it had been the next door neighbours sausage casserole, and today apparently it was his favourite body wash. 

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what it is. I’ll buy you a replacement.” 

“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it.” He shrugged and she looked at him apologetically as she pushed their apartment door open. 

As he followed her into the kitchen he found himself lost in thought again. He stole glances at her out of the corner of his eye as she unpacked the bags. She looked different. Softer somehow? She was only around eight weeks pregnant, so she hadn’t started showing any signs of a bump yet, but it was almost like her body was radiating with the fact that she was pregnant. 

He’d heard the stereotype of how pregnant women glowed and he was beginning to think that it wasn’t a stereotype at all.

Logically, he knew that Brienne was still as manish, broad, dense with muscle and hard faced as she had always been, but he couldn’t help but think she looked somewhat fetching. He’d never been attracted to her, not even close to it. He needed to get his head on properly before she started to notice him staring. 

“Are you on some kind of health kick you’re not telling me about?” She said, looking at him sceptically, holding up a bag of spinach in one hand and carrots in the other. 

He panicked slightly, not wanting to tell her he’d been buying healthy foods as his way of forcing her into eating well during her pregnancy. She should be able to make her own choices about what to eat. “Yeah. I need to stay in shape.” He muttered, busying himself with something else. He could tell from her lack of response that she didn’t believe him. 

“I’m having a scan on Monday.” Brienne said as the two put away the last of the groceries. He glanced over to where she was scrunching up the plastic bags and cramming them into a drawer, but she hadn’t looked up. “Then as soon as I have the all clear I can start meeting with potential couples for the adoption.” 

This was the first time she’d spoken so candidly about the adoption since a few weeks ago when she’d first told him she was considering it. 

“So you’ve made up your mind then?” He asked tentatively, unsure of how much it was acceptable to ask. 

“I think so.” She said, softly enough that Jaime knew not to ask any more. 

“What time is the appointment? I can probably drive you.” Jaime lied. He would definitely have to rearrange at least two meetings, which at short notice would be a pain for everyone involved, he just wanted to bridge the silence. 

Brienne shrugged nonchalantly, taking a bag of the low-fat popcorn he’d bought instead of chips and walking through to the living room. “I’m going on the tube, I have things to do in that part of town anyways.” 

Jaime followed her, flopping down onto the sofa beside her. He hated to admit it, as he liked to be a know it all, but he knew very little about pregnancy. Did scans hurt? Would she be okay alone? What if she found out something was wrong and nobody was there with her. Either way, he felt as though someone should be there for her. 

“I don’t mind honestly. I could just drop you off and wait in the car?” He asked again, turning to face her properly. 

“I appreciate the gesture, but Sansa is coming with me.” Brienne smiled softly at him. He vaguely recognised the name and knew she was either a friend from work or from her university days, he couldn’t recall which. He was glad she wasn’t going alone. 

“Of course.” He smiled. For a moment, the eye contact shared between the pair was intense. Jaime tried to convey everything he wanted to say to Brienne through that one look. He wanted to tell her how proud he was of her strength. He wanted to tell her he was there for her no matter what. 

He couldn’t say the words but he received back from Brienne a look of understanding and warmth. 

For a moment, he thought he may move closer to her on the sofa, but before he had the chance, the moment was gone. 

“I don’t like this popcorn.” Brienne laughed awkwardly and he could tell she was flustered. 

“Sorry. Give it here I’ll throw it out.” He said, standing up from the sofa, but at the same time as he stood, Brienne did too. She tried to walk past in one direction as he tried to walk in the other, resulting in his elbow colliding with her side and the popcorn being jolted from her hand. She hissed in pain slightly and moved back. 

“Fuck. Brienne, are you okay? Jaime said, his left arm winding around her waist in an instant. “Did I hurt you?” He asked frantically, scanning her face for an answer. 

“Jaime, I’m fine.” She laughed slightly, but he didn’t smile back. He felt his elbow hit her pretty hard.

“Sit down.” Jaime insisted, moving his left hand that rested on her waist to her hip, curling his fingers around her. “What should I do?” He asked, panicking slightly. Brienne rolled her eyes and shrugged out if his grip, crouching down to pick up the spilled popcorn. 

“No I’ll get that.” He said, pushing her hand away. “Do you need to go to hospital?” He asked, moving to place his hand on her shoulder, but she shoved his hand away before he had the chance. 

“Jaime, enough.” Brienne snapped, standing up and moving away from him. “I’m fine. I’ve said I’m fine so will you just drop it. I’m pregnant, not dying. I don’t need taking care of. I don’t need you to chauffeur me around or buy me healthfoods. In all senses of the word, I am a big girl, so please just stop.” She huffed when she’d finished and he couldn’t help but smiling slightly. 

Of course she didn’t want help. She was the strongest, most intelligent and fiercely independent woman, scratch that, person that he knew. She didn’t need him fussing and fawning over her. 

“Sorry. You’re right. I’ll stop.” He smiled softly, relaxing as he saw her smile too. “I really am just trying to do the right thing.” 

“I know.” She said sincerely. And there was that moment again. The eye contact. He wished she would do anything. Kiss him or slap him, just anything to break the tension. 

“You can clean up the popcorn, since you offered.” She smirked, then left him alone in the living room wondering, yet again, what the hell was happening.

-x-

As the next two weeks passed, Jaime felt as though he was on autopilot. Work was dull, but the difficult kind of dull, where you couldn’t just switch off and let it happen, you actually had to put the effort in. He barely had time to eat and shower when he got in every night before he collapsed in front of the television. Twice in the past two weeks he’d woken up on the sofa in the morning, still in his suit, and covered in one of Brienne’s blankets.

He had fought tooth and nail to get his job at Winterfell Accountancy after he’d left his family company over a year ago. He’d begged the Starks to give them a chance to prove this wasn’t some kind of business tactic to get inside information and that, without going into too much detail, he was done with the Lannisters. He was eternally grateful for Catelyn for giving him a chance. But he’d really started to despise his job. 

He realised quite quickly after starting there that he’d never really enjoyed being an accountant, all he’d enjoyed was the gigantic pay cheque courtesy of his father. Now that he had to do the job for a regular wage and without the comfort of knowing he wouldn’t be fired, it was significantly less enjoyable. But realistically he had no other options, since he wasn’t qualified to do anything else. 

Brienne on the other hand was thriving in her job, every night she’d come home, wolf down whatever food she could prepare in under 15 minutes, then haul up in her bedroom to work on blueprints for her clients rooftop garden design. Her boss Renly had followed through and actually given her an independent client and, although she would never say it in so many words, Jaime could tell she was beside herself with excitement. He was almost jealous of her passion. He hadn’t felt that in a long time. 

Instead, he dragged himself home on a Friday afternoon, looking forwards to binge watching tv and eating his body weight in junk food.

When he finally made it to the front door, he lazily kicked off his shoes and draped his jacket over the coat rack, then made a beeline directly to the takeaway menus in the coffee table drawer. He sifted through until he found a menu for a new Dornish place they hadn’t tried then walked towards Brienne’s room. She finished early on Fridays, so he had no doubt she would be hunched over the mac in her bedroom looking at blueprints. 

As he walked up the corridor he noticed the door was ajar so he called out to her before he reached her room. 

“Wench, I’m home. Pick something from this menu quickly before I starve to death.” He said, pushing the door to her room further open.

“Don’t come in!” She said, but it was too late as he’d already opened the door. 

Front the sound of urgency in her voice, he had expected her to be naked, but as he looked at her he saw her standing in front of her mirror wearing a short black dress. Honestly, he thought the dress might have been sexier than if she were naked. 

The dress was nothing spectacular, by all standards it was plain. The sleeves were capped and there was no detailing, but gods it was tight. He swore he could see her muscles rippling through the material. And, fuck, it was short too. The dress fell to just over her mid thigh and he chuckled as he saw her fidgeting with the hem, trying to pull the material down. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realise you had plans.” He smirked playfully and her face flushed with a pink hue.

“I um- I don’t have plans.” She said, looking down at the floor bashfully. 

He was confused about her meaning. “Oh?” He asked, hoping she would explain. 

She groaned loudly and picked up her bathrobe which was draped over her bed then shrugged it on over the dress. “It’s stupid.”

“Are you going on a date?” He asked tentatively. The last time he’d seen her dressed up was for her date over two months ago. 

He didn’t think it was possible, but her face turned even redder. “No. Gods no.” She stammered quickly. He raised his eyebrow at her, waiting for her explanation. 

“Sansa convinced me to buy this dress a few months ago and I haven’t had an occasion to wear it. I won’t fit into it for much longer.” She sighed, smiling slightly and sitting down on the edge of her bed. 

He grinned widely at her. “So you were planning on wearing it alone in your bedroom.” He laughed, but not to be cruel. He found the whole situation to be frankly adorable. 

“Don’t tease me, I know it’s pathetic.” She said softly and looked up at him with her huge, sapphire blue eyes. 

“I’m not.” He said quickly, then he was struck with an idea. “Give me half an hour to eat something and get changed and I’ll take you out.”

“Jaime, you don’t have to-“ she started, but he cut her off.

“Nonsense. You need to show off your dress and I need to let my hair down after two shit weeks at work. It’s a win win.” Honestly, the thought of doing anything other than crawling into his bed and sleeping for twelve hours sounded awful, but if it mean she’d leave that dress on he would’ve done damn near anything. 

As her face lit up slightly, he knew he’d made the right decision. “Where would we go?” She asked him. 

He considered for a moment. The dress didn’t seem the type to wear to a restaurant, and it was too late to book any kind of concert or theatre tickets. “There’s a new bar in town that looks interesting.” He lied. He just wanted to seem like the type of person that knew where trendy bars were. He would have to search for one online as he was getting ready. 

“I can’t drink.” She said apologetically. “It doesn’t matter, we don’t have to-“

“You can drink alcohol free beer. Come on, it will be fun.” He said, playfully batting his eyelashes at her. 

A smirk crossed her face once more. “Okay.” 

He left her room to give her a chance to get ready and headed for the kitchen where he quickly ate some reheated chilli from the night before. Once he was finished he showered and made his way to his room to pick out what to wear, deciding on the classic combination of dark, thin jeans and a crisp white shirt. 

Quickly, he searched for a local bar and eventually settled on The Lounge, which boasted a luxury yet cosy atmosphere with great cocktails. Not that it mattered what kind of alcohol they served. Jaime had decided to drive instead of calling them a cab, so that Brienne didn’t have to feel awkward about being the only one not drinking. 

As he applied a little product to his hair in the mirror he felt a twinge of excitement. In the entire time that they’d lived together, they’d never done anything like this. They’d been to the local pub to watch cricket a few times, and been out to eat together, but never to a fancy bar. Never anything that seemed so much like a date. 

This is not a date. He told himself as he checked himself in the mirror for the fourth time in a row. This is not a date. He told himself as he saw her standing in the living room waiting to go with an excited, and possibly nervous, look on her face. This is not a date. He told himself as he took her arm like a gentleman and walked her down to the car.

As he drove, he had to focus intently on looking at the road instead of her creamy, smooth thighs on display in the passenger seat. 

“Thank you.” She said so softly that he barely heard it. 

“Don’t thank me, I’m not doing this as a favour. We’re going out because I want to go out with you. To the bar with you. I want to take you to this bar.” He fumbled over his words like a fool and cursed his awkwardness. Where had his charm gone?

When they arrived at the bar he told her to find them a table whilst he went to the bar. She’d protested, but he’d promised she could buy the next round. Once at the bar, he was on the verge of buying two alcohol free beers when out of the corner of his eye he saw the list of virgin cocktails. Deciding this might be a little more interesting, he asked for one of each of the first two on the list. 

The first was a dark pink liquid served in a martini glass rimmed with blue sugar, decorated with a paper umbrella and the second was an orange frozen slush style drink served in a hurricane glass with a curly straw. He felt like a fool carrying them back to their table and Brienne laughed loudly when she saw him. 

She’d chosen a large round booth for them, but instead of sitting across from her, he opted to force her to shuffle down so that he could sit on her side. 

“Jaime you know I can’t drink.” She groaned, taking the glasses off the tray balanced in his left hand. 

“I know.” He grinned, pushing the pink drink towards her. “This is essentially glorified fruit juice. No alcohol, I swear.” 

She looked at the drink suspiciously before raising it to her lips and taking a sip. Her eyes widened instantly. “This is amazing.” 

He smirked at her as he took a sip of his own, which tasted distinctly tropical.

He had worried that their conversation would be sparse, but in fact he found it to be quite the opposite. As they sipped their drinks they talked about work and their various projects. She told him about menial gossip from her small group of friend, then he told her about Tyrion’s latest love life disaster, enjoying the way her eyes crinkled as she laughed. He also enjoyed the fact that she had to lean in to hear him over the noise of the bar and he could smell her perfume. Eventually they worked their way down the list of virgin cocktails, unaware of the time flying by. 

He felt mesmerised by her voice. It was deeper than most women’s, but overall she got comfortable she spoke so eloquent yet freely it was like music to his ears. He could listen to her talk for hours. 

He was just about to ask if he could get her another drink when the song switched over to ‘Acceptable in the 80s’ and he noticed her swaying her shoulders slightly to the beat. They’d been there for almost two hours at this point and she hadn’t acknowledged the music in the slightest. 

“Do you like this song, wench?” He smirked and she smirked back.

“Its okay.” She told him with a grin. 

He stood up from the booth and held out his hand to her. “Come on. We’re going to dance.” 

She protested slightly but let him take her hand anyways, so he dragged her behind him to the dance floor. He didn’t dance, and he suspected she didn’t either, so he had no idea why he’d done it, but despite this, once they reached a small clearing they settled into a rhythm of swaying with the music. 

“Life was much simpler in the 80’s, was it not?” He asked close to her ear, referring to the song playing. He’d grown up in the 80’s. Everything was simple when you were just a boy.

“I wouldn’t know.” She laughed as she danced softly. 

“Wait, what?” Jaime asked, slightly taken back.

“I was born in ‘91.” She said, having to raise her voice over the music slightly. 

Fuck. She was a lot younger than he thought she was. Twenty eight. Seven Hells, it practically sent a shiver down his spine. He was nearly fifteen years older than her. He knew she was young but gods, not that young. 

“Right. I forgot,” He laughed, trying not to come across as a dick for not knowing. 

After that, she seemed content to keep dancing, so he danced too. All the while thinking about what the hell he was doing. He glanced her up and down, from the faint trace of makeup on her face to the ragged black converse on her feet, which shouldn’t have worked with the dress but somehow just did. 

He’d never found her attractive before, so why was he itching to pull her closer to him. As they danced, he tried to distract himself and think about all the things he found unappealing about her. 

He’d always been into girls with long hair, he thought, but then he glanced at her cropped blonde hair reflecting the light and bouncing as she danced and changed his mind. 

She was too tall, that had never been attractive to him. But somehow her gangly, uncoordinated dancing was endearing to him. And those legs that went on for miles had his cock twitching in his jeans every time he looked down. 

Her lips were thick and not pretty. But the pink sheen from her drink made them look luscious and enticing. He wonder how they would feel against his own lips. Or wrapped around his— 

Fuck. He couldn’t take this for much longer. 

Daringly, he raised his left hand and placed it delicately on her waist. He expected her to push him away in disgust, but she didn’t. She simply danced on, leaning slightly into his touch. By the time the next song had started, her hand had made her way up to hold his shoulder as they swayed in the beat together. 

It was innocent. Just two friends dancing together to song after song. Other than his hand on her waist and hers on his shoulder, they weren’t touching at all. Until he moved his hand to her lower back, pulling her ever so slightly towards him.

There was no excuse for this. He knew it and he suspected she knew it too. They weren’t drunk, they weren’t strangers, they weren’t lovers. They were roommates, stone cold sober, dancing with their bodies flush together in the darkness. 

He didn’t want to look at her face. He worried that if they made eye contact that they would realise how insane this was and the moment would end. So instead her held her tightly as she hid her face in his neck. As he felt her warm breath on his skin he was painfully aware of how low his hand was on her back.

Part of him was screaming at him that this was a bad idea, asking him why he was doing it, but deep down he knew the reason. 

Ever since she told him that she’d had sex after her date all those months ago, he couldn’t get the image out of his head. Before then, she’d still been his awkward, ungainly, kind-of-friend. He didn’t even know she was interested in sex. But now, the thought plagued his mind. 

What would she be like in bed? Was she loud? Did she like it rough? Did she like to be on top? These were the questions that ran through his brain as he felt her dancing against him.

But it was so much more than that. Her pregnancy had unleashed some sort of desire to help that he’d never felt for a person outside of his family. He wanted to be with her at her appointments, or talk about her concerns and draw her baths if she was stressed. 

He wanted to fuck her but he also he wanted to care for her. 

It was a dangerous combination. 

Attempting to push the thought from his mind, he dropped his hand to her ass. 

He regretted the action instantly as he heard her breath hitch, but she continued to sway against him, so he left it where it was. He was barely grazing her, his fingertips brushed over the slight curve of her ass gently, but he could tell it was firm. Dense with muscle like the rest of her. 

He swallowed deeply, suppressing a groan as he pressed his nose and cheek into the side of her hair. They danced awkwardly, practically grinding against one another for a little while longer, before he tentatively flexed his fingers, giving her ass a gentle squeeze. 

With that, she moved her face out of the crook of his neck and brought it in line with his. Their noses were inches apart and they both breathed heavily, staring into each other’s souls. 

His eyes darted between her eyes and her lips, but her eyes remained firmly on his. Daring him to make the next move. 

Then suddenly, they were jolted at the side by someone drunkenly stumbling into them. Their eye contact was broken and Brienne moved away from him as though she’d been burned. 

Jaime thought it was a good job that he didn’t see who’d interrupted them, because it’s quite probable he would’ve killed them on the spot. 

After that, whatever had overtaken their inhibitions was broken. She barely made eye contact with him and kept a respectable distance between their bodies as they danced. He didn’t dare touch her again. 

After a little while, he noticed her yawn softly and so he suggested that they go home, which she quickly agreed to. The drive back was excruciatingly silent and he was desperately thinking of something to say to her, but when he turned and opened his mouth, he saw that she was curled up against the window, sleeping soundly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little later than I’d planned, but I hope you enjoy chapter three. I am expecting the finished work to have around 10-12 chapters, but things will start getting more exciting soon I swear! For now, please make do with the agonising build up. 
> 
> Also, as always, feedback is appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just say, the rating has been taken to E for this chapter. 
> 
> But that doesn’t mean its all plain sailing from here on out.

Two weeks after their night in the bar, it was still all Jaime could think about. He’d come so close to kissing her senseless right there on that dance floor. Dangerously close. One moment of eye contact longer and he would’ve done it. 

 

He wondered what would’ve happened if they would’ve kissed that night. Would they have fucked? Would they have fucked more than once? If it was up to him they wouldn’t have left his bed since that night. 

 

Jaime sat in his office at Winterfell Accountancy on his lunch break, staring blankly at the untouched sandwich on his desk, mulling over his thoughts on Brienne. But instead of thinking of her tight, toned body clad in her little black dress grinding against his, he thought about how today was the day of her meeting with the first set of prospective parents for her unborn child. He knew that whether or not she decided she liked them, this would be a very emotional day for her. 

 

He didn’t think he would be able to concentrate for the rest of the day if he was wondering how she had gotten on, so he picked up his phone to call her.

 

“Jaime! Hey.” Brienne answered after the third ring, sounding oddly chipper.

 

“Hey. I was just calling to see how today went.” As he spoke Jamie heard whispering in the background. “Everything okay?” He asked. 

 

“It’s just Sansa, she says hi.” Brienne laughed. Jaime laughed too when he heard Sansa muttering “no I do not” in the background. Sansa had never really taken a liking to Jamie, which he didn’t blame her for since he’d known her for a while but only recently bothered to learn her name 

 

“So… today?” Jamie asked, trying to put the conversation back on track as Brienne and Sansa had been talking between themselves. “I can call back?” He suggested.

 

“No it’s okay. Sorry.” Brienne insisted. She paused for a moment before continuing. “They were alright I suppose. The husband seemed really kind and enthusiastic.”

 

“And the wife?” Jamie asked, and heard Sansa laugh.

 

“Ugh, Jamie I hated her.” Brienne groaned. “The only reason she wanted to adopt was so that she didn’t ruin her figure, and she barely looked up from her phone the whole time.” She continued, laughing. 

 

“And she called her Brittany twice.” Sansa added. Jaime laughed along with the two women but felt slightly bad that the meeting hadn’t gone as well as Brienne hoped it would. 

 

“I’m sorry, Brie.” Brie? Where had that come from? He’d never called her that in his life. “But you’ll find someone, you just have to keep looking.” Jaime said sincerely, wishing at that moment that Sansa wasn’t listening in on their phone call. 

 

“Thanks Jaime.” Brienne said softly, making him incredibly glad he called. “I’ve got to go now, but I’ll see you at home tonight.” 

 

“Okay, see you soon.” Jamie replied. 

 

Brienne didn’t manage to disconnect the phone before he heard Sansa laugh “since when did Jaime get nice?”.

 

-x-

 

Brienne met with four more couples over the course of the next three weeks, none of which she deemed suitable to hand over her child. Two couples were too young, one couple was very hard to talk to and the most recent, in her words, seemed like they were part of a religious cult. So overall, things were not looking great. She was currently on her way back from meeting with the fifth.

 

Since it was a Saturday and Jamie had had the day off, he decided to spend the day cleaning the apartment and cooking dinner for when she got home. He knew how stressed she’d been trying to balance her work with finding a suitable couple and all whilst being pregnant, so he wanted to make sure she could relax for once. 

 

It seemed that all he could think about recently was Brienne, but he struggled with making his feelings known. They’d never talked about what has happened that night. Or rather, what has almost happened. So he was forced to long for her in silence. At night he lay awake wishing she were in his bed. During the day he wished he was by her side as her confidant during this stressful time of her life. 

 

He’d just finished pulling his homemade lasagne out of the oven when she walked through the door. 

 

“Jamie, you are not going to believe what happened at the cafe today.” She called to him from the doorway. 

 

“I’m in here.” He called back. When she entered the kitchen Jamie was taken aback slightly. He hadn’t seen her leave in the morning so this was his first time seeing her for today. 

 

She was wearing a sundress which cinched at the waist and fell down to just above her knee with flat strappy sandals. Her hair, which she had let grow out ever so slightly, fell in natural waves and her cheeks were dusted with a slight rouge. Not that she ever needed to, but he found it so endearing when he could tell she’d put an effort into her appearance. He hoped it made her feel as beautiful as he saw her. It was nothing like a hollywood transformation. Her big lips and crooked teeth still sat prominently, and the halterneck sundress was not doing her braud, muscular shoulders any favours, but Jamie couldn’t help but think she looked radiant. 

 

The one thing he couldn’t tear his eyes away from was the ever so slight bump of her abdomen. He was surprised that at around fifteen weeks along, this was the first time her bump had started showing. It was, in a way, the first tangible proof he’d seen that she was growing a life inside of her. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life.

 

Brienne coughed, which drew his attention back to her face and he noticed she was blushing. Jamie blushed too, like a sheepish schoolboy who’d been caught staring at a girl, and turned away to start washing the dishes in the sink.

 

“So, what happened then?” Jamie said, trying to break the tension. 

 

“So we’re in the cafe and everything is going great.” Brienne started, hopping up onto the breakfast bar. “And honestly they’re the nicest couple I’ve met so far, I’m genuinely thinking they might be the ones.” She continued. Jamie sensed a ‘but’ coming very soon, but Brienne sounded amused so he wasn’t worried.

 

He turned round to face her and saw she was about to take a fork full of piping hot lasagne so he swatted her hand away playfully. She pouted back at him but continued with the story.

 

“So anyways. We leave the restaurant and I’m walking them back towards the carpark when I noticed two police officers stood by their car.” Jamie quirked an eyebrow at her. “Long story short, the officers had noticed their number plates as ones they were looking for in association with a series of robberies.” Jamie looked concerned but Brienne threw her head back and laughed. 

 

“They were fucking criminals, Jaime.” Brienne said through the laughter. Jamie couldn’t help but feel she was deflecting by turning something so stressful into a joke, but he loved the sound of her laugh. Also, he didn’t think he’d ever heard her swear before. It did strange things to him. 

 

“Ugh, Jamie I’m never going to find anyone.” Brienne groaned, snapping Jamie out of his thoughts. 

 

“Sure you will.” Jamie said. “Can the agency not meet with the couples and find it a good home?” It would certainly take off a lot of the pressure if they could.

 

“Technically yes, but if I’m going to hand this baby over to a stranger I feel as though it’s my responsibility to see to it that she’s well cared for.” Brienne said, eyeballing the lasagne and picking up her fork once more. 

 

“A girl?” Jamie smiled brightly. 

 

“That’s generally what ‘she’ means.” She laughed.

 

“I didn’t know you’d had another scan.” Jamie was slightly hurt that she hadn’t told him but he tried desperately not to let it show in his voice.

 

“I didn’t you were that interested.” Brienne shrugged. “Sansa took me.” Jamie frowned momentarily before forcing it away. Was he actually jealous of Sansa? Fuck, what was happening to him? Also, how dare think that he wasn’t interested? Hadn’t he done enough to prove how much he cared?

 

“Can I eat now? I’m starving.” Brienne looked at him hopefully, seemingly not realising how hurt Jamie was. He tried to push the feelings down, he could deal with them later in the privacy of his own room. 

Before he’d even opened his mouth to respond she was lifting a fork full of the lasagne to her mouth. Jamie looked at her in anticipation, feelings of frustration forgotten, as this was his first time attempting lasagne in a long time and didn’t know how it had turned out. Then Brienne let out a long, drawn out moan which sent shivers directly to Jamie’s crotch.

 

“Gods, Jamie.” She moaned, taking another bite. And then another. 

 

Jamie became immediately flustered and turned back to face the dishes in the sink in order to hide his blush as he imagined her making those same noises in a wildly different context. When he turned back to face her, she was blushing too, clearly realising the effect the noises had had on him. Gods, he’d never been more embarrassed in his life. 

 

“I’m going to go change-“

 

“I’ll get us some plates-“ 

 

They both spoke at the same time and she laughed awkwardly. 

 

“How about you get the plates while I go take this dress off?” She suggested, her eyes widening as she realised what she’d said. “And um- put something comfortable on. Change out of the dress into my sweatpants, I mean.” She stammered, looking adorably flustered. 

 

As she hopped down off the counter and rushed out of the kitchen, Jamie was sure the blush on his cheeks would never fade. 

 

-x-

 

That night, Jaime found himself lying awake in his bed unable to do anything other than think about Brienne. He always did his best thinking when he was pacing, but it was close to 2am and he didn’t want to risk waking up Brienne since his room was right next to hers, so here he was. 

 

Whatever was going on in his brain that meant whenever he was around her all he wanted to do was push her against the nearest surface and shove his tongue down her throat, needed to end soon. He couldn’t take this for much longer. 

 

There was no logical explanation for it. He wasn’t attracted to her when they first met, and she hadn’t changed in any way, so why should he be attracted to her now? It was all very confusing. His train of thought was cut short however when he heard Brienne clanging around in the kitchen. He knew that given his current state of mind he should’ve ignored it, but then when he heard her opening and shutting another cupboard, curiosity got the better of him.

 

When he reached the kitchen doorway, he was surprised to see that she had almost every cupboard open and was rifling through their contents. 

 

“Are you hungry, wench?” He laughed, which startled her slightly. 

 

“Oh hey, I didn’t know you were up.” She said sheepishly, looking embarrassed that she’d been caught. Briefly, he thought it was a good thing he’d already been awake, or else she definitely would have woken him. 

 

Neither spoke for a moment and he looked her up and down. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt which tightened around her ever so slight bump, and some old faded pyjama shorts, and her hair was stuck up in a million places, but fuck, he wanted her. He gazed briefly at her long exposed legs. He’d seen her legs like this before when she’d worn her black dress, and had never denied that her legs were sexy, but in the dim glow from the streetlights outside their apartment they looked magnificent.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” He asked, looking at the contents of their cupboards strewn over the counters. There were some old looking tins that must’ve been in there since before he moved in, since he was certain he’d never seen them before.

 

She blushed, looking awkwardly at the various tins and jars. “I was looking for pickles.” She admitted and he barked out a laugh.

 

“What? Brienne we’ve never had pickles in this flat. You don’t even like them.” He laughed and she groaned loudly. 

 

“I know. I think it’s a pregnancy craving.” She said, turning to look at the jars again, giving Jaime a view of her thick, muscular calves. 

 

“We don’t have any, I’m telling you.” He laughed again, walking towards her to start putting some of the tins and jars back. She moved out of the way, sighing in defeat and walked over to sit up on the breakfast bar like she had done earlier that afternoon.

 

“Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to want something so badly but you can’t have it?” She sighed and Jaime felt his blood run cold. Because of course he knew that fucking feeling. He’d felt it every time he’d seen her for the past two months.

 

Daringly, Jaime set down the jar of sauce he was holding and turned to face her. “I think I can imagine the feeling.’ He muttered gruffly. 

 

Her eyes widened and her eyes shot up to meet his. She held his gaze and swallowed nervously. He could’ve fucked her right there and then, but this wasn’t the time. He saw she crinkles at the side of her eyes and her chewed nails, which she only did when she was stressed. She needed a friend and thats what he wanted to be.

 

“Why weren’t you asleep?” He asked, moving to sit beside her on the breakfast bar. From where they sat they could look through the window and down the street, which was oddly serene in the darkness. 

 

“I could ask you the same question.” She smirked, nudging him with her elbow. 

 

“I asked first.” He countered, elbowing her back.

 

“Where would I even start.” She laughed, sounding exasperated.

 

“Try me.” He shrugged.

 

“Well lets see. I’m nearly four months pregnant by a guy who slept with me for a bet. A guy who, despite months of attempting to contact, won’t return any of my calls. I can’t find a single set of suitable parents in all of King’s Landing to take the baby. I’m hungry and emotional and frustrated and stupidly horny, all at the same time, constantly. And there’s nothing I can do about any of it.” 

 

Jamie’s throat clammed up at the mention of the word horny. Was she trying to kill him?

 

“What can I do, Brie? I want to help you.” He said softly, turning to face her. She turned to face him too and Jaime was painfully aware of how close they were. If he flexed his fingertips, they would brush against hers. 

 

Her eyes flickered over his face, unmistakably grazing over his lips. Jaime gulped nervously and he could’ve sworn she leant towards him. “Can I ask you something?” She said, her voice barely a whisper. 

 

He nodded softly, unable to speak. 

 

“Were you going to kiss me?” She said, her eyes never leaving his. She didn’t have to elaborate, he understood instantly that she was talking about the night in the bar. The night they’d never spoken about. 

 

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t move. All he could do was stare into her eyes. Her breathing was heavy, as was his own and he could see the burning desire in her eyes, which he knew without a doubt reflected his own. Then his eyes dropped to her lips. Parted slightly, ready and waiting. 

 

This was a terrible idea. She was pregnant, emotional and exhausted. He lived with her, there would be serious consequences. Everything would change. There would be no turning back. 

 

Gods, he was really going to do this, wasn’t he? He was really going to kiss her. 

 

“Fuck it.” He growled, moving his left hand to the back of her neck and pulling her close, crushing his lips against hers. 

 

There was none of the gentleness Jamie wished he could give her, only a sloppy, wet, clashing of tongues. Brienne moved one hand to his hair and tightened her grip and he grunted into her mouth, pushing his tongue against hers more forcefully. Kissing Brienne was nothing like Jamie imagined it would be. He expected her to want to be soft and slow, but instead her hands were roaming over his body while she moaned into his mouth. Jamie was convinced this was the hottest thing that he’d ever done in his life. 

 

Frantically, as though he would die if he didn’t do it sooner, he moved from the counter beside her. Without being asked, she parted her knees, allowing Jaime to stand between her thighs. He wound his shortened right arm around her waist and kept his left hand curled around the back of her neck. She wasn’t a great kisser as he suspected nobody had ever taken the time to teach her how it was done, but she let him guide her as they settled into a rhythm that suited them both.

 

After a minute or so of hurried, messy kisses, he dropped his left hand to her hip, gripping the exposed flesh where her t-shirt had ridden up. Experimentally, he ground his dick against her core, almost coming undone at the noise she made in response. He pulled back from her lips and dropped his face into the crook of her neck, kissing the skin tenderly.

 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked breathlessly. Brienne moved the hand threaded in his hair around to cup his cheek, forcing him to look at her. 

 

“Please, Jamie.” She asked, eyes meeting his. He could see the lust burning intensely. This was wrong, but gods it felt so right. He wanted this so badly. He dropped his face back into her neck and began to lap and suck at the skin there, relishing in her breathlessness. 

 

Slowly, Jamie moved his left hand to Brienne’s bare thigh, stroking the soft skin and started inching towards her core. When he reached there pulled his body back so that he could rub her through her shorts, but Brienne’s fingers circled his wrist and pulled him away slightly. 

 

“You don’t need to. I’m ready.” She said between pants and he moved to look at her, narrowing her eyes sceptically. 

 

He curled his right arm around her waist and she squeaked in surprise as he lifted her off the countertop, using his left hand to pull down her shorts and underwear in one swift motion. He grinned, proud of himself that that actually worked, then reached to drag one finger down the length of her cunt. To his surprise, she was already slick with arousal.

 

He groaned, dragging his finger against her once more, enjoying her squirming beneath him. 

 

“I tried to do it myself.” She said softly. “But I couldn’t.”

 

Jaime was going to die. Had she really just told him that she’d been trying to get get herself off? The image of her riding her own fingers, giving herself pleasure, was one he would likely never forget as long as he may live. Which may not be for much longer if she continued to torture him so. 

 

Wasting no time, he fumbled with his own pyjamas, freeing his aching cock from its constraints. Glancing over to the doorway, he wondered if he should run to get a condom from the unopened box in his bedroom, which hopefully was unexpired. 

 

Seemingly understanding his train of thought, she brought her legs tightly around him, crossing her feet at the ankles behind his back. “I’m clean. I was tested when I had my first scan.” She said softly. 

 

“Me too.” He stammered. “I haven’t had sex in over a year.” He added, cursing himself afterwards. What the fuck had he added the last part for?

 

Before she had the chance to reply, he rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he pushed into her for the first time. Brienne’s sigh of pleasure was almost enough to bring him to the edge there and then. 

 

He wished he could say he made love to her slowly and passionately, but in reality it was far from the truth. He clung to her, alternating between kissing her lips and her neck, sucking her skin in a way he knew would turn into blemishes tomorrow morning. She writhed against him, running her hands over his shoulders and his chest and his hips, seemingly all at the same time. It was frantic and messy and over far too quickly, but after hearing her screaming his name and biting down on his shoulder as she came was just too much for Jamie to handle. 

 

Once spent, Jamie held Brienne in his arms, saying nothing. He had a million thoughts about what this all meant and where they go from here when Brienne moved slightly to get off the counter. He moved to the side and let her passed, watching as she smirked softly at him. She picked up her shorts from the ground but didn’t put them on and he tucked himself back into his pyjamas. 

 

“Thank you.” Brienne said softly, leaning in to place a brief kiss on his cheek as she walked passed him towards the doorway. Jamie frowned slightly. That wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for. He watched Brienne leaving the room, his eyes leering at her ass as she walked, which was barely covered by her t-shirt. 

 

“Goodnight Brienne.” He said lamely into the darkness as she left the room. 

 

Jamie was torn between how he felt about what just happened. On the one hand, finally fucking Brienne after months of pining felt phenomenal. She was perfect. It was like her body had been crafted by the god specifically to fit with his. But the other hand, what they’d done was clearly just a matter of convenience and meant nothing to her. She’d told him she was horny, he’d screwed her, and now she was going back to bed as though nothing had happened. 

 

No. Fuck that. That wasn't how he wanted this night to end. He was desperate to show her he wanted more than just a quick fuck against the kitchen counter. He wanted her, all of her. Complications be damned. 

 

“Brie, wait.” He called, following her down the corridor, catching her before she reached her bedroom. He needed to tell her everything he’d been feeling over the past few months, but as soon as he saw her face his heart clinched and his mouth went dry. He couldn’t do it. 

 

“Get dressed, I’ll drive you to the 24 hour supermarket for some pickles.” He smiled softly, running his hand through his hair nervously. 

 

She smiled back at him and looked like she might say something, but simply nodded instead, then went into her bedroom to change. 

 

Jaime was left staring at her closed door, feeling like a fucking fool. Why had he done this to himself? Why had he complicated everything? And why in god’s name didn't she seem to care?

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for anyone who is still reading! Please let me know what you think! I know this is tagged as slow burn, but don’t worry, there is still plenty of unresolved pining to go.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime struggles in the aftermath of what happened with Brienne.

The following day, Jaime was so worried that things would be awkward in the apartment that he was frankly a little insulted when Brienne acted normally. She ate her breakfast across from him in the living room, skimming blueprints on her ipad, barely looking up. Her pyjamas were the same as the ones she’s had on the night before. Was she taunting him? Had he done something to anger her in some way? That was the only explanation he could think of for her blatant indifference. 

 

Jaime sipped his coffee through gritted teeth. He supposed that if it were to be a one time thing, a quickie to relieve her of some tension, then this was for the best. But it fucking hurt. He wanted her again. He wanted her in his bed. He wanted to hold her close to him. More than anything, he wanted to shove her ipad out of her hands, bury his head in her lap and tell her how much he cared for her. 

 

By Monday morning, Jaime had tortured himself stupid. He sat in his office, staring at his computer, unable to think about anything but her. He hadn’t slept since that night. Unable to take the uncertainty much longer, he picked up the phone and punched in a number, which went through after two rings. 

 

“Brother dear, what a pleasant surprise.” As soon as Jaime heard Tyrion’s voice he relaxed slightly, Tyrion would know what to do. He was the deemed the smartest of the Lannister children for a reason. 

 

“I fucked her.” He blurted out with no context and Tyrion laughed loudly.

 

Jaime sighed as Tyrion continued to laugh before choking out “I’m sorry, I could’ve sworn it sounded like you just said you’ve fucked someone.”

 

“Tyrion I’m serious. I slept with Brienne.” Jaime snapped.

 

“Who? The landlord?” Tyrion laughed, seemingly unaware of how stressed Jaime was. 

 

“She’s not my landlord.” Jaime muttered.

 

“Yes, your pregnant landlord. I remember now.” 

 

“Tyrion please, I’m serious.” 

 

At Jaime’s tone, Tyrion stopped laughing. “Right. What happened then?”

 

“I don’t know. On Saturday night we were in the kitchen talking and the next thing I know it just happened.”

 

“What, right there in the kitchen?” Tyrion laughed slightly and Jaime groaned. 

 

“I thought you said she wasn’t attractive.”

 

“She wasn’t. But she is now, to me.  I don’t know. I just really want her Tyrion.” Jaime couldn’t seem to get the words out properly. All this time thinking, and he still couldn’t make sense of his thoughts. 

 

“You want her and you’ve had her. I really don’t see the problem.” 

 

Jaime let out a long deep exhale before speaking again. “It’s more than that. I really like her. I want more than just one night.” 

 

“The first woman you’ve shown an interest in in years is your pregnant roommate. You really don’t make life easy for yourself, do you?” Tyrion sighed. “Does she feel the same way?”

 

“I wouldn’t know, she’s practically ignored me ever since.” Jaime snapped, raising his voice slightly and startling Tyrion into a brief silence.

 

Jaime stretched out against the back of his chair, awaiting Tyrion’s response. “Do you want to hear my advice?” He said firmly. 

 

“Yes.” Jaime muttered. 

 

“You won’t like.” Tyrion told him, causing Jaime to clench his left fist slightly. 

 

Jaime hesitated before responding. “Yes.” He said softly.`

 

“This girl is going through a difficult time in her life right now. You remember how on edge and emotional Cersei was during her pregnancies, and things were a lot simpler for her. I suspect that the last thing she needs r is to jump into a relationship with someone. If she wants what happened to be a one time thing you have to respect that.”

 

Jaime felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes and he clenched his jaw tightly. “But—“

 

“Jaime, you know I’m right.” Tyrion cut him off. “You’re blessed with good looks, brother, use them. You could probably have any woman you wanted. Just find a rebound and try to forget about what happened.”

 

Jaime’s eyes flared in anger. “I can’t have any woman I want when the only woman I want is her.” He snapped, raising his voice again. 

 

“Okay, okay.” Tyrion said, attempting to calm him down. “Just don’t make this poor girls life any more complicated than it already is.” 

 

“I have to go.” Jaime snapped, ending the call without waiting for a response. 

 

If he wouldn’t have been at work, Jaime’s fist would’ve collided with the closest hard surface. Tyrion didn’t understand. He didn’t want to make her life complicated, he wanted to be there for her. He wanted to lo- to care for her, he corrected quickly, not allowing his mind to go down that dangerous route. Besides, she had been the one to bring up that night in the club, not him. 

 

Despite this, Jaime did contend to the fact that no matter what he may want, Brienne seemed to be very clear that she wanted what had happened to be forgotten. He owed it to her to honour her wishes, no matter how much it hurt. 

 

-x-

 

Before Jaime knew it, a week had passed since that night. A week of near agony, aching to talk to her. To really talk to her. He wished he could understand what was going on in that mind of hers. Did she think about that night as much as she did? He highly doubted it, since he thought about it constantly. 

 

Her skin was unbelievably soft, yet her muscles beneath were as solid as steel. Her long, slender fingers gripped his shoulders and one of the puncture marks from her fingernails had only just faded. Two days ago her t-shirt had shifted as she moved and revealed one of the dark purple marks he’d sucked into her neck. It was almost enough to make Jaime snap and take her there and then. 

 

Almost. 

 

It was now Saturday night, a week after their night in the kitchen. They still hadn’t spoken about it and they sat in silence watching a film, as they usually did. They’d ordered pizza, but Jaime hadn’t touched his half. He wondered if she noticed. If she cared. 

 

The film was ending soon. Usually, after their film ended they would stay up chatting, finishing the rest of their beers and food, but he suspected they wouldn’t tonight. They hadn’t bought beers since the start of Brienne’s pregnancy and he couldn’t see himself being able to hold a conversation with her without losing his mind. Maybe it would be easier if he just got up and went to bed now. He could claim he had something to do early tomorrow morning. 

 

He glanced over at her and noticed that she wasn’t watching the film at all. She was staring at her hands in her lap where she was attempting to pick off the last of her pale blue nail polish. Something was wrong. 

 

Whenever she was thinking to hard about something she always had the habit of making her incredible, six foot three form, appear as small as possible. She would hunch over and fold all of her limbs in so that her body took up as little space as possible. She’d done it every night for weeks after her father died and again when she’d found out she was pregnant. Sometimes he would walk past her door and see her do a less extreme version of it whilst sat at her desk, when she would curl her legs up underneath her like a cat whilst sitting in the chair. 

 

It seemed impossible that a woman of such a great stature could pull herself in so tightly, especially now that she was four months pregnant and her swollen abdomen was growing every day. 

 

He wished that she would just talk to him. He didn’t care if she never wanted to speak of that night again, he just wanted her to trust him enough to tell him what was troubling her so much. He would do anything to help her. “What’s wrong?” He found himself asking in an oddly accusing tone. He hadn’t meant for it to come out like that and he regretted the words instantly. 

 

Her eyes widened in shock, but she didn’t look at him. Instead she fixed her gaze on the screen in front of them. “Nothing.” She muttered. 

 

Jaime sighed loudly. She was an awful liar. “Talk to me.” He said softly, attempting to move towards her, but before he had the chance she flinched away, so he quickly moved back to his own side.

 

She still didn’t look at him, but he could see the heavy rise and fall of her chest and her jaw tense. “There’s nothing to talk about.” She said firmly. Coldly. 

 

“Nothing to talk about?” Jamie scoffed, causing her to snap her head towards him. Her eyes bore into his with an indecipherable emotion, but he would’ve sworn she was on the verge of tears. She stared at him intently. Her lip quivered for a brief moment, but she quickly tensed her jaw and it stopped. 

 

Jaime broke their eye contact for a moment so that he could switch of the film with the remote, plunging them into darkness. Only the light from outside illuminated her face. 

 

“Talk to me.” He said again, his voice barely above a whisper, but she didn’t say anything. 

 

Before Jaime could register what was happening, her lips were on his. Her hand was fisted in the hair at the back of his neck as she shoved her inexperienced tongue roughly down his throat. He kissed her back with all the energy he had left in him. They both needed to talk, this wasn’t right. But he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. 

 

After a moment, she pushed him back into the couch and moved her legs to straddle him. She didn’t rest her weight on him and as he ran his left hand up the side of her calf to cup her ass, he could feel her muscles were tight, straining from resting on her knees. Her face was much higher than his in this position and he had to tilt his head back to kiss her properly, so he tried to guide her down to sit in his lap properly, but she resisted. 

 

She kissed him roughly, but fuck, he loved it. He grunted, squeezing her ass tightly as she took his bottom lip between her teeth and nipped so hard it drew blood. He didn’t know what had happened to make her so tightly wound, but he was more than willing to fuck the frustration out of her. After a few minutes of frenzied kissing however, Jaime’s neck couldn’t take the strain much longer so he pulled back then dropped his head to her chest. 

 

As his cheek made contact with the fabric of her shirt, a wave of realisation crashed over him. This was not the way to fix things, no matter how much he wanted to. “What are we doing?” He whispered breathlessly against her chest, but she didn’t say anything. He brought his right arm around her waist and raised his left hand to rest between her shoulder blades. He held her tightly against him and he could feel her trembling. 

 

He moved his cheek from her chest and tilted his head back to look at her. His heart broke when he saw the dampness under her eyes. “You’re crying.” He said softly.

 

Her eyebrows furrowed together in anger instantly. “Fuck you, I’m not crying.” She snapped, removing herself from his lap and turning to leave for her bedroom quickly. 

 

“Brie wait.” Jaime stammered, unsure of what the hell had just happened. He got up from the sofa quickly and followed her down the corridor. “I’m sorry. Just wait, please talk to me.” She froze where she stood but didn’t turn to face him.  He could see her breathing heavily suspected she was still crying. “Please, Brienne. Turn around. Whatever it is, I can help you.” 

 

She turned slowly and he could see the tears streaming down her cheeks in the darkness. She looked more vulnerable than he had ever seen her and it broke his heart. In two quick strides he was standing in front of her, bringing his arms up to hold her tightly. She tensed briefly, but then relaxed in his arms as a sob overtook her body. He cradled the back of her head in his hand and shushed her soothingly as she sobbed against him. 

 

“It’s okay.” He whispered over and over again. As though somehow if he said it enough, it would be true. 

 

After a moment she removed herself from his grip then moved until her back touched the wall. Then, lowered herself to the ground and sat with her long legs bent at the knee and her face in her hands. Wordlessly, Jaime sank down next to her, resting his own back against the wall. He used the knuckles of his left hand to stroke her hair softly, then, when he dared, he attempted to push her right hand away from her face. She resisted slightly, but then yielded her hand, allowing him to lace his fingers through hers. 

 

When she moved her hand he could see that she was still crying, so he brought her right hand to his lips and peppered it with soft, slow kisses. He felt like a fool. All this time he’d been worrying about himself when she was clearly on the verge of collapse. “Its okay.” He muttered between the kisses he dropped onto her knuckles. “I’m here.” He told her, squeezing her hand gently. 

 

Eventually, her tears turned to gentle sniffles, but she still wouldn’t look at him. She wiped her eyes with her left hand and squeezed him softly with her right. Then, after a long deep sigh, she turned to him. “Sorry.” She said meekly and Jaime shook his head instantly. 

 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He smiled reassuringly.

 

“I feel as thought there’s so much to think about, constantly.” She said, turning away from him and dropping her gaze to the floor. “I don’t think I’m equipped to deal with this level of uncertainty. I’ve lost control over my life, my body, everything. I just can’t handle it, Jaime.” As she spoke, he felt a sickening guilt in the pit of his stomach. He had no doubt that he had had a hand in her recent frustration and it broke his heart.

 

“I miss my father.” She said quietly and he could hear her voice wobbling. He could tell she was about to cry again so he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him before the sobs overtook her body once more. 

 

There was nothing graceful about the way she cried. It was loud and ugly and it sent a bolt of pain directly to Jaime’s heart. She was lost and afraid and she needed someone to tell her everything would be okay. He wanted to be that person

 

When her tears had subsided once more, without thinking he raised his right arm to tilt her chin upwards so that he could see her face, but he pulled away quickly when his stump made contact with her skin. “Sorry.” He stammered, attempting to drop his right arm down by his side, out of sight, but she caught his wrist before he had the chance. 

 

“Jaime.” She said softly, pulling his arm gently towards her. He watched in stunned silence as she raised the stump of his right arm up towards her lips and kissed his wrist chastely. Jaime’s heart pounded in his chest. He loved this woman. 

 

He didn’t even know if it were possible to fall in love with someone so suddenly. The realisation his him like a oncoming train and he felt all the air rush from his lungs. He’d cared for her, he’d wanted to protect and adore her and he hoped that he could love her, but he’d never felt like he loved her until now. But when she kissed his arm, accepted him, flaws and all, he knew in that moment he would never love another woman again for as long as he may live. 

 

Nobody had ever shown him this level of acceptance and understanding before, but instead of wanting to bask in the warmth of it and enjoy the feeling, he wanted her to understand that this moment was about her. Even moments after she’d been sobbing in his arms she wanted to make sure he was alright too. Genuinely good people were hard to come by but he had no doubt that she was one of the remaining few. 

 

“What happened?” She said softly, snapping him out of his thoughts. He tensed when he realised that she was talking about the accident. He’d never told anyone this story, not even his therapist who was being paid a ludicrous amount for the privilege. His throat went dry and he felt his hand go cold and clammy in hers. “Sorry.” She murmured. “You don’t have to.” She told him, releasing his right arm from her hold. 

 

But for some reason, he wanted to tell her. He wanted someone to understand what he had been through that night and he wanted that someone to be her. So he decided that, almost eighteen months after the accident, sitting on the floor in the darkened corridor outside of their bedrooms, was the right time for him to finally get this story out. 

 

“My father would throw these parties, ridiculously lavish parties, at his estate to show the shareholders of Casterly Global how much he valued their continued support. The only good thing about these parties was the fact that I was never allowed to drink, on account of Tyrion and Cersei’s alcoholism. My father couldn't have all three of his children as an embarrassment to the family name after all.” He laughed awkwardly and looked at Brienne who was listening intently. She didn’t speak, but her big, gentle eyes urged him to go on. 

 

“The good thing about not being able to drink was that, when the party was over, I was free to drive home. I didn’t have to wait until the morning like every other drunken fucker there. On that particular night, I was angry. I don’t remember why, but I know that I was frustrated and I needed to leave quickly. I stormed out of the party and headed straight for my car and then I drove away.” 

 

Jaime could feel his hand trembling and Brienne squeezed him gently. He had to carry on. 

 

“I was driving fast, way over the speed limit. My knuckles were white where I gripped the wheel. I knew it was dangerous but I didn’t care. The estate was so far away from the rest of the world that no other cars drove those roads.” Jaime could feel the tears burning in his eyes, but they did not fall.  “There weren’t supposed to be any other cars.” He said quietly. His heart felt like it would pound right out of his chest. 

 

“All of a sudden, there was a pair of headlights behind me. I couldn't slow down because their speed had matched mine, so I had to keep going. Then they- They um-- They tried to overtake me. I couldn’t stop them. There was no time. Their car clipped mine and-” Jaime’s whole body was trembling but he would not cry. He had to go on. Brienne had tears on the brims of her eyes, so he couldn’t look at her. 

 

“I don’t know for sure what happened, but in an instant, both our cars had flipped. Mine rolled and rolled and I was certain I would die. I don’t know how long I was out for, but when I came too, my car was on its side and hand was trapped amongst the crumpled metal. Then I heard the driver from the other car screaming for help. ‘She’s dead. She’s dead’. I heard him screaming over and over. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t help them.” 

 

The tears fell freely down Brienne’s cheeks now. He wondered what she must think of him. 

 

“I had to lay there, pinned to the car unable to move for close to six hours until another person drove down that road and saw us.” They were the longest six hours of Jaime’s life. The driver of the other car screamed the entire time. He didn’t remember being rescued, he imagined that he had blacked out from the pain. All he remembered was coming too a few days later in a hospital with a bloody gauze where his right hand used to be. 

 

“After the accident my father ‘relieved me of my duties’ within the company. He said that nobody would take me seriously again after I’d crippled myself and- and killed someone.” He said, struggling with the last part. 

 

Brienne’s eyes went wide with anger. “You didn’t do anything. It wasn’t your fault.” She said firmly, her voice laced with all the hatred for his father that he’d experienced since the accident. 

 

“I know.” Jaime said softly. It had taken him long time to accept that he wasn’t entirely responsible for what happened that night, but hearing her say it made it feel so much more real.  He raised his left hand to wipe away one of her tears with his thumb, then he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

 

“Brienne, I was a bad person before that accident. I was an asshole and I was insufferable, but worst of all I was proud of it. I didn’t care what anyone thought of me. But now, I’ve had to learn how to grow up and accept responsibility for my actions.” He paused and hesitated slightly, but continued anyways. “I’ve learnt how to care about someone other than myself.” He said, stroking her hair once more and smiling at her softly. 

 

“If it wouldn’t have been for my father’s reaction, I never would’ve left that family. I never would have met you.” He said and finally, the tears fell. The thought that the two of them could never have met sent shivers down his spine. She smiled warmly and wiped the tears from his eyes but as she went to move her hand back he caught in and kissed her palm tenderly. He then took her face in his hand and pulled her closer so that he could kiss her forehead, then both of her cheeks, then the end of her nose. She blushed the entire time. 

 

He desperately wanted to kiss her. More than he’d ever wanted anything. But he knew now wasn’t the right time. They were both recovering from deeply emotional outbursts and they needed time to think before rushing into anything. Plus, he didn’t even know if she felt the same way, but if the look of adoration in her eyes was anything to go by, he was confident that she did. He pulled her against his chest and they sat in silence for a long time, but eventually the floor became too uncomfortable and he could feel her shifting in his arms. 

 

She pulled away from him and he pushed himself to his feet then offered her his hand. She graciously accepted his hand, resting her hand on her small bump as she stood. Once she was standing, he couldn’t bring himself to release her hand, so he let his fingertips curl over is. It felt like one of the most intimate things he’d ever done. 

 

“Jaime.” She said softly and his eyes met hers. Then, agonisingly, she pulled her hand away from his. “I know that I owe it to you to have a conversation about what’s happening between us, but I’m just not ready.” She said, looking down at the ground. It killed Jaime that he felt suddenly there was a wall between them once again, but if she needed time to think then he should give it to her. She had too much to handle at the moment without him forcing an answer from her. 

 

“I understand. Take all the time you need.” He said, stepping back slightly and instantly mourning the loss of her closeness. “I just want you to know that I’m here for you no matter what.” 

 

“I know.” She smiled, then leaned over to drop a gentle kiss onto his cheek. Then, she retreated into her bedroom and shut the door behind her. 

 

It wasn’t fucking fair. He should be in there with her. He wanted to hold her so much that his entire body ached. But he respected her right to take the time to think. Maybe, he thought, it would be good for him to get away from their apartment for a few days so that he could have some space to think too, to decide whether he truly was in love with her or if he’d just felt those things in the heat of the moment. Although, Jaime suspected that he already knew the answer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading if you've made it this far!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime takes some time away from the apartment to think about his growing feelings for Brienne, but things don’t go exactly as he had planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mind the rating for this chapter.

Jamie checked his duffel bag for the third time, making sure that he hadn't forgotten anything important. He didn’t know why he was dreading his trip to see his sister so much, since he’d practically begged her to let him stay for the weekend. 

 

Being in the house with Brienne was becoming too much to handle. It had been two weeks since their late night conversation in the hallway and seemingly, she still wasn’t ready to talk to him about what was happening between them. It wasn’t so much the not talking that he struggled with, as he knew that they had a genuine connection that would just have to manifest itself eventually, it was the fact that she was so close and he couldn’t have her yet. 

 

The stress she was under practically radiated from her skin every time he saw her. She had dark bags under her eyes and her nails were chewed and bloody. Frankly, she looked terrible. He wanted so badly to help her. Whenever she was near him he ached to hold her hand. But at least it wasn’t as bad as it had been before that night. Her air of indifference had gone and he saw her getting adorably flustered whenever he stood to close. It was the little things like that that kept him going, reassuring him that as soon as she was ready to talk, something was bound to happen.  

 

He checked his bag one final time before throwing it over his shoulder and leaving his bedroom. As he walked down the corridor he went to poke his head around her door to say goodbye and he heard her muttering profanities under her breath. He looked into her room and he saw her hunched over at her computer, her face inches away from the screen. She’d only just gotten home from work, this wasn’t good. 

 

Jaime knocked on the door lightly with his knuckles, which startled her slightly. “Oh hey. Are you leaving already?” She said sheepishly, looking embarrassed that he’d made her jump.

 

“I’m afraid so.” He laughed, but briefly he considered not going. He had no doubt that she wouldn’t move from in front of that computer all weekend whilst he was gone. It had been a nightmare trying to get her to take care of herself over the past two weeks, so much so that he practically had to trick her into doing it. One evening after work he’d drawn a bath, only to fake an emergency that required his attention at work so that he could suggest she take the bath instead, since the water would be cold by the time he got back. Two days ago he practically begged her to finish the leftover Thai curry in the fridge before it went bad, because he knew that if he didn’t her dinner would have been a forkful of pickles directly from the jar. 

 

He knew however that they needed the time apart, even if it was just for two nights. He hoped that him being gone would give her a chance to think and that maybe when he returned she would be ready to talk. Plus, he had faith that she could take care of herself for a couple of days, she’d made it this far in life after all. 

 

“I guess I’ll see you on Sunday then.” She said, standing up and crossing the room towards him. It amused Jaime that with him wearing shoes and her in bare feet, for once he was ever so slightly taller than her. “Tell you sister I hope she gets better soon.” She added and Jaime felt a pang of guilt. He’d lied to her and told her that the reason he had to go and stay with Cersei was that she was sick and needed help wrangling her three children. He couldn’t tell her the real reason was that he was afraid if he spent one more moment in this apartment he would spontaneously combust with frustration. 

 

Jaime hesitated momentarily before deciding to wrap his arms around Brienne in a loose hug. It was clunky and awkward as his duffel bag swung on his shoulder and he had to angle it away from her, but her arms came up to wrap around him too. He wished he could stay in that moment forever as he pressed a light kiss into her cheek. “Make sure you call me if you need anything.” He whispered softly into her hair. When he pulled back she was smiling and it physically hurt him to leave. 

 

-x- 

 

Jaime stared awkwardly around Cersei’s kitchen as she boiled the kettle and prepared their tea. He was embarrassed about the fact that he’d never been to visit her since she’d lived in this new house. She’d separated from her husband Robert just before the birth of their third child, which was around two months after Jaime’s accident. His relationship with Cersei had soured after his accident as he felt that she’d failed to defend him against their father, as he would’ve done for her. It was only looking back that he realised Cersei had had more than enough to deal with at that time, so perhaps he should’ve been a little more understanding. Nevertheless, they were working on building their relationship once more and he was grateful for that. 

 

Everything about her home screamed wealth. She, unlike him, was not afraid of using their father’s money to make her own life easier. She hadn't worked since the birth of her first child Joffrey almost six years ago and honestly he didn’t blame her. He hated his job and would quit in an instant if he could. As she poured the water into their mugs, Tommen began to wriggle where she held him on her hip, but she managed to soothe him before he started to cry. 

 

She carried the two mugs over to the table where Jaime was sitting and wasted no time in questioning him. “What’s happened then?” She asked, taking a sip of her tea and adjusting Tommen so that he could sit on her lap and face the room. 

 

“Nothing's happened. What do you mean?” He said awkwardly, looking at the warm mug in his hands. She narrowed her eyes skeptically and set her mug down. 

 

“You’re telling me that you’ve called me out of the blue asking to stay at my house for the weekend and nothing’s happened? I know you, Jaime. You wouldn’t be here unless you needed something.” She said and Jaime felt a sting of pain at her words. She wasn’t wrong, but why did she have to assume he needed something rather than that he was there to see her. 

 

Jaime sighed deeply. “I just needed to get away from my roommate for a few days. I don’t want to talk about it.” He said and she laughed a little.

 

“I’m guessing you screwed her?” She laughed and he winced at her language in front of the baby, which caused her to laugh more. “Relax, Jaime, he doesn’t understand words yet.” She told him, and stoked Tommen’s head affectionately. Jaime looked at Tommen who was blissfully unaware, chewing his tiny hand and gazing around the room. 

 

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.” He sighed again, but couldn’t take his eyes of Tommen. “Can I hold him?” Jaime asked hesitantly. Cersei looked a little surprised at his question but then shrugged her shoulders and carefully manoeuvred Tommen into Jaime’s lap. 

 

“Be careful.” She said softly to Jaime. He curled his right arm around Tommen’s waist and let him play with the fingers of his left hand. He felt a pang of regret for not being around more when he was younger, or when any of her children were younger for that matter. He looked up at Cersei and saw the look of adoration for child on her face and his heart broke for Brienne. She would never experience this with her child. 

 

“Can I ask you something?” He blurted out as soon as the thought came into his mind. Cersei nodded slightly, not moving her eyes away from Tommen. “Did you ever think about not keeping them?” He asked awkwardly. 

 

Her eyes flew open in shock and she glared at him. “Are you talking about my children? Jaime that’s an awful question?” She snapped and Jaime’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. 

 

“Gods, you’re right. Sorry.” He stammered awkwardly. Neither spoke for a few moments and he felt a strong urge to leave her house and stay in a hotel for the weekend instead. But then, another though crept into his head and he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What does it feel like to be pregnant?” 

 

She laughed and looked at him awkwardly then shrugged. “It’s uncomfortable and frustrating, yet somehow you love it.”

 

“No I mean emotionally.” He clarified and she narrowed her eyes at him. 

 

“Is this woman pregnant?” She asked accusingly.

 

“No. No I haven’t gotten her pregnant.” He said quickly, because that was technically the truth.

 

She continued to look at him skeptically then sighed deeply. “It’s hard to explain. It’s like you feel an overwhelming amount of love for someone and you just can’t wait to meet them.” As she spoke, Jaime felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes and he wished he wouldn’t have asked. Brienne would never get to meet her child. Or maybe she would, but only for a moment. Then she would be whisked away to spend her life with a different family. She would never get to see her grow up. He couldn’t imagine how hard this must be for her. 

 

“Jaime, what aren’t you telling me?” Cersei said softly, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

 

“It’s nothing.” He insisted.

 

-x-

 

That night, as he lay awake in Cersei’s guest bedroom, he decided he’d made a terrible mistake in leaving home for the weekend. He was torturing himself with thoughts about her now more than ever. Not only was he thinking about how much he wanted her, he was plagued with new thoughts of concern of what would happen to her in four short months when she had to give up her child. That combined with the fact that he was worried she probably hadn’t moved from her desk chair since he left was a recipe for a long, sleepless night. 

 

Then suddenly, as if on cue, his phone began to vibrate on the bedside table and the screen lit up with Brienne’s. His first reaction was one of panic at her calling at such a late hour and he grabbed the phone quickly, scrambling to bring it to his ear. “Is everything okay?” He stammered before she had the chance to speak. 

 

“I’m fine. Everything is fine.” She reassured him and Jaime let out a deep sigh of relief. “Sorry, were you sleeping?”

 

“Good.” He told her, smiling slightly. “No I wasn’t sleeping. What’s up?” He said, trying to sound as neutral as possible. He was glad just to be talking to her, he didn’t want her to think it was an inconvenience. 

 

“Jaime I need to ask you something.” She said hesitantly and he wondered if they were really going to have this conversation over the phone. 

 

“What is it?” He asked cautiously. 

 

She let out a long deep sigh and he heard a slight tremble in her breath. “I’m frustrated.” She said so quietly he barely heard her.  

 

“I know. Me too.” He said calmly but she sighed again. 

 

“Not that kind of frustrated.” She told him, but he didn’t understand her meaning. “Imsexuallyfrustrated.” She stammered quickly and Jaime’s eyes went wide with shock. 

 

“I see.” He said slowly, unsure of what to do next. He briefly considered driving half way across Kings Landing in the middle of the night just to fuck her, but pushed the thought from his mind.  

 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I called. I know we haven’t talked yet and I really do want to talk, I swear, but I’m desperate.” She said, and gods did she sound it, he could practically hear the longing in her voice. 

 

This wasn’t right. He couldn’t do this over the phone before they’d talked properly. They’d barely been apart for six hours and this was exactly what he was trying to avoid. But he could hear her breathing heavily and his thoughts drifted back to that first night when they’d slept together in the kitchen. She’d told him that she’d tried to get herself off but she couldn’t. The thought of her squirming around her fingers, trying desperately to achieve some sense of relief was too much for him to take. Fuck it.  They could talk later. 

 

“Where are you?” He muttered gruffly, failing to hide the overwhelming arousal in his voice. 

 

“In my room.” She said quietly and he was struck with a tantalisingly naughty thought. 

 

“Go and get in my bed.” He practically growled into the phone. He heard a soft gasp escape her lips and she didn’t speak, but he could hear the unmissable sound of her moving. She got out of her bed and he heard one door open and close, followed by another, then the sound of his bed sheets rustling as she made her way beneath them. “Are you comfortable?” He asked softly. 

 

“Yes.” She told him. The idea of her in his bed had his cock straining against his pyjamas. He was itching to touch himself but resisted the urge as he didn’t want this to be over before it had began. 

 

“Were you trying to do this yourself before you called me?” He asked, unsure of how to begin.

 

“Yes” She murmured. 

 

“But you couldn’t?”

 

“No.” She whispered back. He was going to have to take his time and guide her. He thought briefly that this would be beyond embarrassing if it didn’t work, but god’s if it did he would remember this night for the rest of his life. “Jaime we don’t have to do this.” She said softly and he realised he hadn’t spoken for a while. 

 

“No. I want to.” He said quickly. “I was just thinking.”

 

“What about?” 

 

“You.” He told her, and a quiet “oh” escaped her lips. “Were you thinking about me?” He asked her daringly. 

 

“Yes.” She stammered and there was a shakiness in her voice. “About the night in the kitchen.” She said shyly. 

 

Jaime groaned loudly. She was going to be the death of him. Her voice hardly sounded like her own. It was soft yet strained and he could hear her arousal. “I’ve thought about that night every day since it happened.” He told her and it came out sounding as eager as he felt. 

 

“So have I.” She said, and it made Jaime’s heart soar. He didn’t feel as though she was just telling him what he wanted to hear. From her voice he could tell that she truly had been thinking about that night as much as him.

 

“Brienne.” He said nervously, his heart pounding in his chest. “Are you touching yourself?” 

 

He could hear her breath quicken and his eyes fluttered shut. “No.” She said quietly.

 

“I want you to.” He told her and she let out a small noise that could only be described as a squeak. “Come on, Brie. Don’t get shy on me now.” He said, coaxing her out of her shell of insecurity. 

 

“What do you want me to touch?” She managed and Jaime let out a deep groan. He wanted her so fucking badly. The idea of her in his bed right now was almost too much to handle.

 

“Your breasts. Touch your breasts.” He said, without taking the time to think. He hadn’t gotten a chance to touch her breasts during their encounter in the kitchen but he wished that he had. The next time he saw her he swore that his hands and mouth would be over them in an instant. “Pinch your nipples for me.”

 

He wished he could see the expression her face right now. He’d seen the lust for him in her eyes, he’d heard it in her voice, but he wished he could see it in front of him. More than anything he wished that he was the one touching her body. 

 

“Do you like that?” Jaime asked her and his voice came in ragged breaths. He heard her whimper slightly, but she was inarticulate with lust. “Are you wearing shorts?” 

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Take them off.” He said gruffly. “Now touch yourself gently over your underwear.” He told her and she chuckled softly. 

 

“Not wearing any.” She panted and gods, he almost fucking lost it. The image of her bare cunt dripping in his sheets was glorious. He couldn’t resist it any longer, so he shuffled his phone to rest against his shoulder and propped it up with his right wrist, then dropped his left hand into his pyjamas.

 

“Touch yourself. Go slowly at first.” He said, his voice rough with longing. He gripped himself firmly beneath his waistband and began working his fist in long, slow motions. “Fuck, Brienne.” He whispered softly and she moaned in response. “Trace circles around your clit, then increase the pressure slowly until you find the way you like it.” He knew that he wouldn’t last for much longer.

 

All he could focus on was the the sound of Brienne’s shuddery breaths on the other end of the phone. She didn’t speak, but he heard her breathing quicken as she got closer to her release. He started stroking his own cock faster, so that the movement matched the rhythm of her breaths. “Come for me.” He pleaded. 

 

“Jaime.” He heard her gasp suddenly, followed by a sharp intake of breath and that exact same moment, he spilled into his hand. Gradually, her erratic breathing slowed, as did his.

 

Neither spoke for such a long time afterwards that he was worried she had disconnected the call. “Are you still there?” He whispered. 

 

“I’m here.” She said quickly. Jamie sighed deeply. His entire body longed to hold her. Instead, she was in his bed alone. “I know things are complicated right now, but we’re going to be okay.” She told him and that was all the reassurance he needed. They were going to be okay. When he got home, they would talk. And everything would be okay. 

 

“Of course we are.” He said, closing his eyes for a minute and letting himself pretend that everything was simple. For the time being, that would have to be enough. 

 

“Is it weird that I miss you?” She whispered and a wide grin broke across his face.

 

“No. I miss you too.” He told her, but it was the understatement of the century. He missed her like a drowning man missed air. Neither of them spoke for another short while, but he could hear her breathing softly, reassuring him that she was still there.

“How are you enjoying my sheets?” He chuckled, recalling the time a few months ago when she’d told him that she didn't like them. That was not only one of the first times he’d felt attracted to her, but also one of the first times he’d felt an overwhelming desire to care for her. In just four short months, so much had changed. 

 

“They’re soft.” She mumbled sleepily and he could just picture her bashful, content smile. He’d come to Cersei’s for the weekend with the intention of thinking hard about his feelings for Brienne, but he understood now that it was never a question. He loved this woman. Maybe it was too rushed or poor timing, but he didn’t care. He loved her. “I should probably go back to my own room now.” She said softly.

 

“No.” He said quickly. “Stay. I want you to stay.” He would be able to rest easy with the knowledge that she was sleeping soundly in his bed, intertwined in his sheets with her soft blonde hair splayed out across his pillow. 

 

“Okay.” She said, sighing in content. He didn’t end the call until her breathing had evened out and he knew she had fallen asleep. He would’ve given anything to be curled up next to her. 

 

-x-

 

After the events of the previous night, Jaime had decided to make his apologies and cut his trip with Cersei short. She’d agreed, on the condition that he visit again soon and that before he left he had breakfast with her and the children. Breakfast had been a delicious meal of pancakes and he loved seeing the children’s grinning faces, but it had meant he could not set off for home until just before noon. 

 

By the time he pulled up at their apartment, it was a little after one, but he was still over a day earlier than when he’d told Brienne he would be returning, so he was excited to surprise her. He intended to find her wherever she was, which was likely to be in front of her computer, scoop her up into his arms and carry her off to bed where he would make love to her for the rest of the day. Then, they could have a long cathartic talk about all of their built up emotions and finally, everything would be out in the open. 

 

He hadn’t decided yet if he would tell her that he loved her, as he didn’t want to scare her off so soon, but he relished in the feeling that it was all yet to come. For once in the past four months, Jaime felt like everything was going to be okay. 

 

All that came crashing down around him however, as before he had even opened the door to their apartment, he heard the heart wrenching sound of Brienne crying. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading if you have made it this far. I enjoy reading all of your lovely comments, it is such a great motivation to keep writing. 
> 
> Also, sorry about the cliffhanger. I just couldn’t resist!


	7. Chapter 7

The baby, Jaime thought. Something has happened to the baby. 

 

As he fumbled with his keys in the lock a cold sweat broke out across his forehead that sent shivers down his spine. If something had happened to the baby whilst he was away and she was alone he would never forgive himself. Why hasn’t she called him? He would’ve broken every damn speed limit between here and Cersei’s to get to her sooner.

 

“Brienne? I’m here.” He called, rushing down the corridor towards her bedroom. His duffel bag had fallen from his shoulder at some point and he had only barely remembered to close the door behind him. “What’s happened?” He asked frantically, pushing open her bedroom door without knocking. 

 

“Jaime get out!” She yelled at him from where she was hiding under the blankets on her bed. 

 

Jaime ignored her protests and rushed further into the room. “Is it the baby?” He stammered, feeling his whole body trembling. He couldn’t explain why he felt such a soul crushing feeling of dread. Slowly, she pulled back her blankets and sat up. She was wearing her sundress, which was one of the few items of clothing she had that still fit and it was crumpled from being worn in bed. Her light mascara was smudged down her cheeks and her eyes were bloodshot. 

 

“Brienne, is it the baby?” He asked again, softer this time, stepping closer and sitting on the edge of her bed. 

 

“No.” She muttered softly and Jamie let out a long sigh of relief, but as he nodded for her to continue he could feel that his hands were still trembling. 

 

“I met with a couple for the adoption today who changed their minds once they saw me. They said they wanted a daughter that they could dress like a princess, not one that would be fit for playing men’s rugby.” She told him bitterly and he could see fresh tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. 

 

Jaime was livid. More angry than he’d been in his entire life. What kind of malicious, twisted cunts say that to a person? They didn’t deserve to be in the same room as Brienne, let alone be considered to give a home to her daughter. But despite the anger, he couldn’t help but feel relieved that both her and the baby were okay, so he let out another small sigh and smiled softly. 

 

Her eyes went stony with anger immediately. “Do you think this is funny?” She yelled, and Jaime quickly snapped out of it. 

 

“No. Gods no. Brienne, what they said to you is unforgivable and disgusting. I’m just glad that that's all that happened.” He said softly, reaching his hand out towards her knee. 

 

“That’s all?” She snapped, jerking her knee away. “Jaime, you’re wildly attractive. You have no idea how hard it is to go through life and have people judge you purely based on your appearance. I have been ugly and awkward my entire life, I’m used to the mockery, but today I realised that I’m bringing a child into this world who’s going to suffer the exact same fate.” As she spoke her voice trembled and she turned away from him, unable to hold his gaze. 

 

“No idea?” Jaime snapped back. He rested his hand on her knee firmly so that she would turn to face him. “When I lost my hand, my father all but kicked me out of my family because he was so embarrassed. People have stared at me in public every day since and constantly assume that I’m incapable of looking after myself. So yes, maybe I haven’t had to deal with this my whole life, but don’t you dare tell me I don’t know how it feels to be judged or mocked for something that I can’t control.”

 

He hadn’t meant to yell at her, he was just so angry. He was furious at the couple for causing her so much pain and he was frustrated with her for not realising she had struggled too, but most of all he was angry at himself for not taking the chance daily to tell her how beautiful he thought she was, both inside and out. 

 

“And as for your baby,” he added softly, brushing her hair from her face. “She will be perfect, just like her mother.” He whispered and a lone tear fell down her cheek which he quickly swept away. 

 

She sighed gently and smiled at him. “I’m sorry.” She said, looking up to meet his eye. She scooted up in bed to make room for him and he gratefully moved to her side, draping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her tightly against him. He rested his head against hers she placed her hand on his thigh, tracing delicate patterns with her fingers. Neither spoke for a long while and briefly, he felt conscious about the fact that his right arm was around her, so he had to reassure himself that she didn’t mind. She was one of the few people he’d met that wasn’t disgusted by his stump. 

 

“So, you think I’m wildly attractive?” He asked coyly, dropping a small kiss behind her ear. 

 

“Shut up.” Brienne smirked with a blush and elbowed him gently in the side. Jaime pulled her closer to him and rested his chin on her shoulder, allowing her to relax back into him and she sighed in content. 

 

They sat in comfortable silence and he listened to the steady rise and fall of her breath for a few minutes before she spoke again. 

 

“Why were you so worried that something had happened to her?” She asked quietly, placing a delicate hand on her bump. 

 

Because I love you, he thought plainly, but he didn’t think that now was the right time to bring that to light. “Because you’re my best friend.” He said softly, bringing up his hand to rest over hers. 

 

She turned to face him with a gentle smile. “You’re mine too.” She whispered, her face inches from his. He moved his left hand from her bump and brought it to her cheek then covered her lips with his. Their kiss was slow and tender and Jaime couldn’t help but smiling into her lips. Daringly, he flicked his tongue over her lower lip to deepen the kiss but she pulled away. 

 

“Oh shit sorry.” Jaime stammered awkwardly, moving away, but she grabbed his wrist to stop him. 

 

“I want to, believe me, I do. I just don’t feel great right now. Also I think we should probably talk first.” She said, her eyes not meeting his. He looked her up and down and saw that she was still shaking slightly from crying. Her makeup was still smudged down her cheeks and her eyes were still red and sore looking. 

 

“That’s okay.” He smiled at her, then pressed a gentle kiss into her forehead. “Why don’t you try to sleep a little? We can talk later.” He suggested and she nodded gratefully. He moved from the bed, allowing her to move herself to under the covers. As he was about to leave her to sleep alone, she moved up and patted the space beside her so that he could lay down too. Gratefully, he slid under the covers next to her and slung his arm around her waist. 

 

She lay on her back with her eyes closed, but he couldn’t bring himself to shut his eyes. He stared at her relaxed, peaceful looking face and smiled at her in awe. He couldn’t wait to tell her how hopelessly in love with her he was. 

 

“Shut your eyes.” She muttered with a grin. 

 

He grinned back at her, although her eyes stayed closed. “How could you tell?” He smirked and nuzzled himself into her neck then hooked his leg over hers. 

 

“I just could.” She said quietly back and moved into his embrace. She didn’t make a noise for a long time and he was just on the verge of sleep when she spoke again. “Why did you come back early?” She whispered. 

 

“Because I missed you more than you know.” He said gently, dropping a small kiss into her cheek. 

 

-x-

 

_ “Breathe, darling. You’re doing great.” Jaime said as Brienne screamed, almost crushing his hand.  _

 

_ “Just one more push.” He heard the midwife say calmly.  _

 

_ Suddenly, the room was filled with the sound of high pitched crying.  _

 

_ “You did it.” Jaime beamed and Brienne smiled back wider than he’d ever seen before.  _

 

_ “Mr Lannister.” He heard a nurse say, so he pulled his eyes away from Brienne to face her. She was walking towards him with a small bundle of blankets in her arms.  _

 

_ “Congratulations, you’re a father.” _

 

-x-

 

Jaime awoke with a start. It took him a moment to realise where he was, slowly opening his eyes and looking around Brienne’s room and seeing her sleeping against him. A wave of sadness washed over him and he realised he had been dreaming, one which was swiftly overtaken by a wave of panic. Why had he been dreaming about being the father of Brienne’s baby? This was not good. 

 

Careful not to wake her, Jaime slowly untangled himself from the bed and tiptoed across the room. After his dream, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. He needed to go somewhere where he could think. As he reached the doorway he glanced back towards Brienne sleeping peacefully before leaving the room. 

 

Jaime pulled out his phone and called the only person he could think of.

 

-x-

 

“So, you’re sleeping with your roommate, who you used to despise and now you’re in love with, who’s half your age and carrying another man’s baby.” Tyrion summarised, sipping his wine. 

 

“I didn’t tell you I love her.” Jaime muttered in response. 

 

“You didn’t have to.” Tyrion smirked back. 

 

“And she’s hardly half my age.” Jaime protested, pouting slightly. 

 

“She’s what, fifteen years younger than you?” 

 

“Fourteen.” He grumbled back.. “But that hardly matters.”

 

“No, of course, forgive me. What matters is that you’ve driven halfway across town to talk to me about a dream you’ve had about fathering her child, as though I’m some sort of dream therapist.” 

 

“Tyrion, this is serious.” Jaime groaned after hearing his brother mocking tone. Tyrion paused for a moment to mull things over and Jaime glanced around the apartment. It was much more lavish and expensive than he remembered it being, similar in style to Cersei’s. 

 

“Are you two together?” Tyrion asked and Jaime sighed. 

 

“Sort of.” He sighed and Tyrion looked at him in confusion. “We both want to be, we just haven’t talked about it yet.” 

 

“Right.” He said thoughtfully. “And she’s definitely going through with the adoption?” He continued and Jaime nodded. “How would you feel if she changed her mind?” He asked and Jaime genuinely didn’t know. He wanted her to be happy above all else. If she changed her mind, he would support her without a doubt, but the thought terrified him. He had no idea how their relationship would be affected if that happened, but the thought was redundant anyways as she had made up her mind. But somehow, he couldn’t help but shake the thought of the three of them being a family. 

 

“I don’t know.” He sighed meekly. “I think I want her to, Tyrion.” He said nervously. 

 

“If she’s set on the adoption, there’s very little you can do.” Tyrion told him and he felt a tug in his heart. He knew that, of course, but maybe if he just reassured her that he would support her if she wanted to, then something might change. 

 

“But-”, Jaime began to protest. 

 

“Look,” Tyrion cut him off. “You can tell her you have feelings for her, sure, but you can’t put pressure on her to keep a baby that she doesn’t want just because you think it will be your only chance to be a father.”

 

Jaime felt his cheeks flush hot with embarrassment. He would never dream of putting pressure on her, ever. He’d let everything that had happened between them be on her terms, no matter how much he’d wanted to talk sooner, he was committed to showing her how much he valued her happiness.

 

“I’d never do that.” Jaime insisted firmly. 

 

“If she likes you as much as you like her and you tell her you’ve been thinking about it, she might think that keeping the baby is something she has to do to please you.” He said and Jamie felt like he could scream. Their relationship wasn’t like that, or at least, it wouldn’t be like that. All he wanted was her happiness. 

 

“I don’t even know if that’s what I’d want. The thought fucking terrifies me.” Jaime groaned and ran his hand through his hair. 

 

“Then what do you want?”

 

Jaime sighed again. “I don’t know, but this is all redundant anyways. She’s said nothing to indicate that she wants to keep the baby. This is all just a result of that damn dream.” 

 

“Just tell her how you feel about her and go from there, but leave the baby out of it. It’s her decision to make, maybe if you were the father it would be different, but for now all you can do is support her.” Tyrion told him and Jaime agreed completely. In just over three and a half months, the baby would be born and he needed to be by her side, supporting her every step of the way, no matter what. 

 

-x- 

 

When Jaime returned home, he tried to move quietly in case she was still asleep, but as he tiptoed past her room he couldn’t resist the urge to check on her. His conversation with Tyrion had not helped ease his mind, but what he was certain of was that he needed her. Their phone call the night before was still fresh in his memory and although they were yet to talk about their feelings, all he wanted was to kiss her senseless. 

 

“Are you awake?” He said quietly, knocking on her door. When she didn’t reply for a moment he thought she might be sleeping, but then he heard shuffled movement. 

 

As she opened the door he was struck by how stunning she looked. She was still wearing her crumpled sundress and her hair was ruffled from sleeping, plus she hadn’t wiped away some of the remaining streaks of makeup, but somehow this was the most gorgeous he’d ever seen her. She had a lopsided smile on her face and her brilliant, gentle eyes looked at him with such warmth and longing that he felt a tug in his heart. The woman that he used to think was too broad and awkward looking was now the only woman he wanted to look at for the rest of his life. 

 

“Where did you go?” She asked, yawning slightly as she spoke. 

 

“Tyrion’s.” He replied, taking a step closer to her. 

 

“Is everything oka-” she started, but Jaime cut her off with a kiss before she had the chance to finish. He wound his right arm around her waist and threaded his left hand gently through her hair. The kiss was unlike any they’d shared before, it was gentle and tender and loving. Slowly, he pulled his face away and rested his head against hers. 

 

“Everything is perfect.” He smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. In her eyes was a look of lust and desire that burned into his. Without saying a word, she fisted her hand in the material of his shirt and pulled him into another kiss. As they kissed, Jaime roamed his hand over her body while she slid her tongue against his. She moaned into his mouth when he dragged her lip between his teeth, so wordlessly he bent down to pick her up, allowing to circle her legs around his waist. They could talk later. 

 

“Stop, I’m too heavy.” Brienne laughed into the crook of his neck. 

 

“I’m strong enough.” Jaime growled back, carrying her over to her bed. As he pushed her back into the mattress and hovered over her, he thought about about how much better it would be making love to her in bed as opposed to pushed up against their kitchen counter. He intended to make every minute of it count. 

 

As he slowly kissed her neck, eliciting soft moans, he moved his hand to the straps of her dress, pulling at the material to slip it down then moved off her slightly so that she could push the top half of her dress down below her breasts. His eyes went as wide as saucers when he realised she was wearing no bra. As quick as a flash, he dropped his mouth to one of her breasts, covering it with wet, open mouthed kisses as he palmed the other with his left hand. She moaned as he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked gently. Jaime wished that moment could have lasted forever. 

 

He then began to trail a line of kisses between her breasts and tugged gently at the tie that cinched her dress. With a gentle pull, the fabric loosened and she allowed him to shimmy it down over her bump then past her hips. Once the garment reached her legs she worked her way out of it and kicked it aside. Briefly, she blushed and he could tell that she was sucking her breath in to hide her bump, not that it made a difference. He moved back up to her face and peppered her neck and jaw with kisses. “Relax.” He told her, gently nudging her arms away from where they crossed in front of her. 

 

When he was satisfied that she was more comfortable, he resumed his kisses trailing down her chest and stomach, stopping when he reached the hem of her underwear. “Jaime, you don’t have to.” She said quietly. 

 

“I know.” He whispered into her, with his mouth hovering against her cunt. “I want to.” he said, dragging her panties down with his left hand. When his mouth made contact at long last, the sounds she made were like music to his ears. He continued lapping, sucking and nipping at her until her breathing quickened and he could feel her getting closer. Before too long, she was coming undone beneath him, moaning his name and curling her fingers into his hair. As Brienne rode out the waves of her orgasm, he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and moved up the bed to lay next to her, casually draping his arm over her middle. 

 

He smirked when she met his eye but she looked away bashfully, nuzzling into his shoulder. “Nobody’s ever done that to me before.” She whispered into his neck and Jaime’s face broke into an enormous smile. Sure, he was angry at any other man she’d ever been with for not treating her like the goddess she is, but he was beyond grateful to be her first.

 

“I take it you enjoyed it?” He teased, tickling her side as she leaned down to pull up the thin blanket from the foot of her bed to cover them. Brienne nodded and grinned before leaning in to kiss him. After a few minutes of kissing, her hand moved to fumble with the buttons of his jeans, but he pulled back before things went any further. They had been putting off this conversation for long enough. 

 

“I have feelings for you, Brienne. Strong feelings.” He said softly, trying to avoid saying the word love just yet. Her eyes went wide with surprise and she moved her hand from his jeans.

 

“Oh.” She said quietly, looking at him like a deer in headlights. 

 

“Is that okay?” Jaime asked unsure, worried by her lack of reaction. 

 

“It’s more than okay.” She said smiling, but her voice was shaky and unsure. 

 

Jamie moved his hand up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and stared at her in adoration. “What’s wrong?” He asked, hoping to encourage her to speak freely. 

 

“Is this a joke?” She whispered, her voice breaking slightly. Jamie could hear the vulnerability and innocence in her voice. She’d been hurt too many times before. 

 

He shook his head quickly. “No. I would never do that. I truly care about you, Brienne. I want us to be together.” He said firmly. 

 

“I want that too.” She said quietly and he leaned in to kiss her softly. Before the kiss heated up, he pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. 

 

“What happened on that night in the living room? Why were you crying?” He asked cautiously. He wanted nothing more than to make love to her for the rest of the night, but they had to get everything out first. 

 

She blushed red and looked away slightly. “I wanted it to be real.” She mumbled, her voice barely audible. 

 

“What do you mean?” He asked, hoping she would elaborate.

 

“I thought you just wanted to fuck me because it was convenient and I was willing, but I wanted it to be real. Like a real relationship. And I was frustrated that it couldn’t be.” She explained slowly and Jaime adjusted himself so that he could look at her face properly. 

 

“Why couldn’t it be real?” He asked nervously. 

 

“Everything is so complicated right now.” She sighed, gesturing to her bump. 

 

Jaime sighed too and pressed a kiss into her hair. “This can be as real as you want it to be. I want to be with you and if that’s something you want to then we can make it work, I promise. We can take it slow and work everything out as we go along.” 

 

“Okay.” She smiled widely and he felt like the happiest man alive. The feeling of knowing they could finally be together was so much better than he imagined it would be. 

 

“Okay.” He repeated back to her, smirking like a fool. 

 

She grinned gently at him and he couldn’t help but kiss her again. He could spend the rest of his life kissing her. He pressed her back into the bed, suddenly very aware that she was still completely naked under the blankets. “Do you have plans for the rest of the evening?” He whispered as he pressed kisses along her jaw and she shook her head in amusement. “Good, because we aren’t leaving this bed.” 

 

-x-

 

Some time later that evening, as they lay naked and exhausted, intertwined beneath her sheets, he traced delicate patterns on her bump with his left hand. “Does she kick yet?” Jaime found himself asking out of nowhere. She was around five and a half months pregnant, if he remembered correctly. He had no idea when they started kicking. 

 

“I don’t think so.” She said softly and he looked at her in confusion. “I thought I felt her a couple of days ago, but I wasn’t sure.” She explained, then she moved her hands to her bump . “I should feel her soon enough though, she’s about this big.” She told him, placing her fingers around ten inches apart. Jaime grinned widely at the image. The idea of such a tiny person growing inside of her brought him nothing but joy. He wondered if the girl would have Brienne’s blue eyes, blonde hair and astonishing strength. It broke his heart to think that he would probably never find out. 

 

“Are you okay?” He asked hesitantly.

 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She sighed in content, nuzzling into his neck and he pulled her in closely.

 

As he lay in bed that night while she slept soundly beside him, he found that his usual thoughts of Brienne were replaced by thoughts of her baby. He thought about what kind of life the girl would live and if she would ever know about her mother. She rarely talked about the adoption, only to tell him about prospective couples that hadn’t worked out. He couldn’t help but be terrified about how difficult it may be for Brienne once she was no longer pregnant. 

 

After a while he managed to fall asleep, but he was shaken awake by Brienne’s hand on his shoulder. “Jaime.” She whispered. “Wake up.”

 

He panicked and inhaled sharply as he wiped the sleep from his eyes, worrying something had happened. “What is it?” He stammered as he got his bearings, but as he looked at her face he saw that she didn’t look concerned at all. 

 

“I can feel her kicking.” She grinned widely. 

 

“Oh wow. ” He beamed. “Maybe she heard us talking about her.” He added with a smirk. “Can I?” He asked after a moment, gesturing to her bump. She nodded and took his hand in hers, placing it over where she’d felt the kick. After a few minutes he felt a very tiny kick beneath his hand and he gazed at her, awestruck. He almost felt as tears forming in his eyes, but he couldn’t say precisely why. 

 

“You’re amazing.” He said, rubbing her skin with his thumb, and he couldn’t decide if he was talking to Brienne or the baby. 

 

They stayed like that for a little while longer, hands on her stomach tracing the tiny kicks. Slowly, he could feel her growing tired once more and she rested her head on his shoulder, so he pulled the blanket tightly over her and allowed her to sleep, but he left his hand delicately on her bump. As she slept, Jaime allowed himself to imagine, just for a moment, that everything was different. That he was laying in bed with his pregnant girlfriend who in a few short months would give birth to their daughter. He quickly pushed that thought away however, for dwelling on it would bring him nothing but pain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the update! Feedback is always appreciated :D


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Jaime awoke with a start at the unfamiliar surroundings, but relaxed once he realised he was in Brienne’s bed. So it wasn’t a dream, he thought to himself with a smirk. They were together. Or at least, they’d agreed to take things slowly and work towards that place. Either way, it felt incredible to at long last have the conversation they had needed to have for such a long time. Really, they should’ve had the conversation after their night in the bar all those months ago, but it was better late than never. 

 

As he got his bearings, he rolled over in bed to cuddle up to Brienne but realised she wasn’t there. His instinct reaction was to panic, thinking that she had fled out of regret for what they’d done, but he managed to reassure himself that that wasn’t the case. Brienne was no liar, and she was incredibly careful with words, she rarely said things she didn’t mean. The downside of that of course was that it took her a long time to say what she did mean, but if Jaime was certain of one thing it was that when she’d told him she wanted them to be together, she had meant it. 

 

Considering the fact that she had spent a large part of the last afternoon asleep, Jaime presumed it likely that she had woken up much earlier than he had and so was in the kitchen or lounge. Usually, Jaime would take his time in waking up, enjoying an extra fifteen minutes in bed, but today he was simply far to excited to see her to wait in bed any longer. He stretched out his stiff muscles and pulled on his boxers which had been discarded to the floor, then left her bedroom. 

 

He found her in the kitchen and for a moment, she took his breath away. 

 

She stood by the window with her phone held to her ear and one hand cradling her belly, which told him that whatever conversation she was having was about the baby. It seemed to be an instinctive reaction of hers to touch her bump whenever she talked about the child. She was wearing a pair of old pyjamas and she had yet to fix her hair, but the sunlight radiated from her skin like it would from fine porcelain. 

 

He grinned like a fool as he stepped towards her and she squeaked in surprise as he placed his left hand on her hips and dropped a gentle kiss onto her shoulder. “Yes, I’ll be there at eleven.” She said into her phone. As the person on the other end replied, she turned to look at him over her shoulder, smirking and pulling her lower lip between her teeth in a way that made him want to drag her right back into bed. 

 

He wound his arms around her middle and dropped his lips back onto her neck, nibbling at her skin. She squirmed in his grip, giggling slightly as she tried to continue her conversation. “Sorry.— No, it’s nothing.— Yes, I have the address, thank you for calling.” She said quickly, then disconnected the call. 

 

“Jaime.” She groaned with a smile turning to face him and blushing profusely. 

 

“Good morning.” He smirked back, capturing her lips in a kiss. They kissed slowly yet passionately and she wound her arms around his neck. “Morning.” She managed between kisses. 

 

Jaime had his left hand on her lower back, toying at the hem of her pyjamas, and after a minute he tentatively dipped his fingers beneath the fabric, but she broke the kiss and swatted his hand away. “I have to get dressed. I’m meeting another couple at eleven.” She said regretfully, and he groaned into her neck. 

 

“I can be quick.” He teased kissing her gently again, then stepped away to let her pass.

 

“I’ll drive you. I was going to go to the supermarket anyways.” He offered as they walked towards their bedrooms. 

 

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” She smiled warmly. 

 

“Of course not.” He told her. He knew that given what happened yesterday, she would be nervous about meeting a new couple, and he didn’t want her to be alone on her way there.

 

-x- 

 

As Jaime pulled up in front of the cafe where she was meeting the couple, he could see her knees shaking slightly. He wanted to hold her hand, but driving with one hand and his stump was hard enough as it was. “Is this the right place?” He said awkwardly. 

 

“Yes.” She said softly, staring out of the car window.

 

“We’re early. Do you want to sit in the car for a moment?” He asked, hoping it would give her a chance to calm down. 

 

She sighed deeply and shook her head. “It’s okay.” She said, smiling at him gently. 

 

He turned to face her and leaned in to kiss her softly, then he pressed their foreheads together for a moment. “Call me when you’re done.” He whispered softly then kissed the end of her nose, causing her to blush. With that, she kissed him on the cheek and left the car, leaving him to watch her walk away. 

 

He had barely driven halfway to the supermarket when she called him, which he answered on the hands free system of his car. 

 

“Please will you come back?” She said as soon as the call connected. 

 

“Of course. What’s happened?” He asked in a panic, looking for the nearest exit on the road. 

 

“Nothings happened. They cancelled at the last minute.” She said quietly. He suspected that if he could see her, she would be chewing her nails and looking at the ground, as she did when she was lying. She rarely lied, but when she did, she was terrible at it. 

 

“I’ll be there soon.” He said warmly. 

 

He expected that she had cancelled the appointment herself, due to her stress and anxiety from the meeting the day before, but if she didn’t want to tell him that then he wouldn’t push the matter. 

 

After collecting Brienne, he decided to leave the grocery shopping for later so that he could drive her home. She seemed to be more relaxed, as she chatted to him about her work on the way, which pleased him greatly. However, when they arrived at their apartment, there was a visitor waiting outside the building. 

 

As Jaime pulled up he saw Cersei’s red four wheel drive parked outside and she sat at the wheel, glancing between her phone and the doorway. He should’ve known that she wouldn’t let him leave without any explanation. He glanced over at Brienne, then briefly down to her bump.

 

Cersei was a good person, at heart, but he knew from experience that she could be very kind to stranger. If she caught on to the fact that Brienne was pregnant, she would grill her relentlessly. Brienne didn’t deserve that, especially not today. Their relationship had only just begun, he didn’t want it to be complicated by interfering families just yet. 

 

“Actually, do you mind if we stop by the shop first?” He asked her, driving past the apartment and hoping Cersei would not see them. 

 

She groaned loudly and sighed. “Can you let me out since we’re here already?” She asked and he hesitated before replying, briefly considering telling a lie. 

 

“My sister Cersei was waiting outside of the apparent, I didn’t want to see her.” He sighed. 

 

She turned to face him with her eyebrows furrowed. “Why not?” She snapped. 

 

He pulled in to the side of the road to park the car as he wanted to look at her face while they spoke. “She would’ve had questions.” He said softly, reaching out his hand. 

 

“You’re embarrassed of me.” She said coldly, flinching away from his touch. “You don’t want your family to see your pregnant slut of a girlfriend, is that it? Maybe once I’ve lost the baby weight you can introduce me then, or maybe you just never will—“ She stammered, getting more and more angry until he cut her off. 

 

“Brienne.” He yelled, raising his voice slightly, but she continued. 

 

“You’re too embarrassed to have a great, lumbering beast to greet your sister so you want to hide me away. It will be too awkward to explain that the baby isn’t yours, so you’d rather just ignore the problem.” She spat angrily. 

 

“You know none of that is true.” He said in a softer tone, trying to calm her down.

 

“Do I?” She yelled back. He could see her shoulders shaking and tears brimming in her eyes. 

 

“Yes, you do. And frankly it’s offensive to hear those words coming from the woman I love. I’ve done nothing but support you. I’m proud that you’re mine, you’re just too stubborn to see it.” He said angrily, in a tone that contrasted with his words, and her eyes went wide in shock. He realised in that moment what he’d said. 

 

The angry look fell from her face and was replaced with one of surprise. She opened her mouth to speak but shut it again quickly and he couldn’t seem to find the words to say either. They stared at each other for a split second and then before he knew it they were kissing frantically. She gripped him so tightly and kissed him so hard, he was sure that if they weren’t in broad daylight and she wasn’t six months pregnant, she would’ve climbed right into his lap. 

 

After a minute, they pulled back for air and they rested their foreheads together. “I’m sorry.” She said breathlessly. 

 

“Cersei can be very cruel, I was only trying to protect you from that. I want you to be a part of my family, I truly do, but for now, all that matters is me and you.” He replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

 

“You don’t have to explain. I’m sorry.” She said again, then grinned at him widely. “I can’t believe you told me you love me during an argument.” She smirked. 

 

“Me neither.” He said grinning back. “You called yourself my girlfriend.” He added.

 

“Oh. I didn’t mean to presume-” She stammered but he cut her off by resting his hand over hers. 

 

”It’s okay. And I do, by the way. Love you, that is.” He told her and she kissed him again. 

 

She didn’t say it back, but he wasn’t worried. He knew she cared for him and if she wanted to say the words, she would say them in her own time. 

 

-x-

 

The weeks following Jaime’s trip to Cersei’s passed perfectly. Although they had agreed to take it slowly, they occupied the space between what they had before and a solid relationship, where everything was new and exciting. She blushed like a strawberry every time she caught him staring at her and he could barely walk by her without initiating some form of contact. Not even necessarily sexual contact, he just had to be close to her. 

 

He would rub her shoulders from behind as she sat on the sofa, or pepper her neck with kisses whilst she stood at the kitchen sink. One morning he had daringly slipped into the shower beside her. She had protested at first on account of her shyness, but after a little coaxing and charming, she let him stay. That was one of the first times he had seen her completely naked outside of the bedroom and he thought she looked truly glorious. The swell of pregnancy, which she was self conscious of, only served to make her look more radiant. 

 

And as if that all wasn’t perfect enough, there was the sex. They had sex almost every day, something which he thanked her pregnancy hormones for, and it was the best sex that Jaime had ever had in his life. He imagined that by some standards, their sex may be considered too vanilla, on account of the fact that they were far from experts and still had to navigate some awkward fumbling at times, but Jaime couldn’t care in the slightest. It was perfect. She was perfect.

 

He hadn’t told her he loved her since first time, as he didn’t want the statement to lose meaning with overuse, but he felt it more and more every day. Oddly though, Jaime thought, they didn’t sleep in the same bed every night, only occasionally, but on the nights that they did, he would whisper words of love into her hair as she slept. 

 

The official reason for them not sleeping in the same bed was that her pregnancy made her a restless sleeper, so on the nights when they would have to get up for work in the morning, it made sense for them to sleep apart. But Jaime suspected that the real reason was that if they slept in the same bed and lived in the same apartment, it would take their new relationship to a seemingly serious level. 

 

One thing he didn’t like to see was how much of a toll her pregnancy was taking on her body. To Jaime, she still looked as radiant as ever, but he noticed her slowing down gradually. He saw how she would walk around with her hand pressed against her lower back, or how sometimes she had to stop half way up the stairs to catch her breath. He was careful not to treat her any differently, understanding her fierce need for independence, but it hurt him to see her in pain. 

 

One particular evening however, after seeing Brienne get home from a long day at work and groan in pain as she leant down to take off her shoes, he insisted on stepping in. 

 

“I’m going to run you a bath.” He smiled at her. She didn’t have the energy to argue, so he pressed a quick kiss into her temple before leaving for the bathroom. Once the bath was full, he handed her a fresh towel and set of pyjamas then nudged her gently towards the bathroom door.

 

“You’re the best.” She smiled at him fondly, pressing a gentle kiss into his lips.

 

“Don’t you forget it.” He smirked, returning to the kitchen to see what he could rustle up for dinner. 

 

After ten minutes in the kitchen he managed to find the various ingredients for spaghetti, however before he had started cooking he heard Brienne’s mobile ringing from her bag. He took the phone from her bag and walked through the apartment to the bathroom door. 

 

“Brie, your phone is ringing.” He called through the door. 

 

“Well I don’t plan on getting out of this bath any time soon.” She said, laughing slightly, so Jaime decided to answer and take a message. 

 

“Hello, is this Miss Tarth?” A woman’s voice said as he answered the call. 

 

“No, this is her-” he hesitated “roommate. Can I take a message?” He asked.

 

“If you could get her to call me back soon, that would be great. This is Sheila from the King’s Landing adoption agency.” 

 

“Is everything alright?” He asked, concerned. 

 

“Miss Tarth has not returned any of the agencies calls for some time now. We need confirmation that she will be continuing with the process.” She told him and Jaime sighed slightly. He had been too wrapped up to notice that she hadn’t been meeting with any couples. 

 

The meeting a few weeks ago, where she had been deeply offended and hurt, had clearly had such an effect on her that she was too nervous to have another since. But this was worrying. The baby would be born in just over two months, she couldn’t avoid this forever. 

 

“Yes, I’ll pass on the message.” Jamie told the woman, who thanked him before ending the call. 

 

Jaime was setting Brienne’s phone on the table when he heard her call for him, so he walked back to the bathroom and opened the door slightly. “Come in.” She told him and so he stepped into the room. He smirked when he saw her, still in the tub with bubbles up to her neck. “Join me?” She said in a low, sultry tone and he agreed eagerly. 

 

He undressed in a matter of seconds, then walked over to the tub. She scooted forwards to make space for him and he slipped in behind her, with his legs on either side of her hips. 

 

He’d meant to tell her about the phone call, he really had, but as she moved back to rest on his chest, dropping her head onto his shoulder, he decided against it.

 

-x-

 

The following Saturday, Jaime managed to convince Brienne that she couldn’t spend another weekend mindlessly watching the food network in her pyjamas, so he dragged her out to the supermarket. As they walked side by side through the isles, he couldn’t help but thinking to the outside world they must look like a family, eagerly awaiting the birth of their child. 

 

“I’m going to get some pickles.” She told him as he decided between two types of pasta and he laughed slightly. Her cravings had subsided, but she had developed a taste for the foul garnish and so he would still find her eating them from the jar, no matter how much he told her that much salt couldn’t be doing her any good. 

 

He hadn’t even managed to make his pasta choice when Brienne had quickly returned. “We need to leave.” She hissed, clutching onto his sleeve. 

 

“I know you hate supermarkets but we need to eat, my dear.” He chuckled, imagining that some shopper had cut her off with their cart and made her lose her patience. 

 

“I’m serious, Jaime. Come on.” She snapped, gripping his arm more firmly. 

 

He laughed and sighed slightly, tossing both types of pasta into the cart. “Okay, let me just pay for what we’ve got-”, he said, but she cut him off. 

 

“No, there’s no time.” She said insistently and he looked up and saw a look of fear in her eyes. 

 

“What is it?” He asked worriedly, only just understanding her seriousness. 

 

“I think I’m bleeding.” She stammered.

 

Jaime inhaled sharply and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Fuck.” He said in shock, but then attempted to regain his composure for her sake as he could see her trembling. “It’s okay.” He told her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Its okay. I’m going to drive you to the hospital.” He reassured her, abandoning the cart and guiding her out of the supermarket back towards the car. 

 

“Does it hurt?” He asked as they made their way to the car. 

 

“No.” She said softly, shaking her head. 

 

He wrapped his arm firmly around her waist anyways, holding her tightly against him. When they reached the car he opened the door for her and waited until she had fastened her seatbelt before sprinting round to his side. When he got in the car, he saw that she was crying.

 

“It’s okay.” He said softly, placing his hand over hers and squeezing gently. “It might be nothing.” He said hopefully, but she shook her head. 

 

“I slipped in the shower.” She whispered, her voice shaking. “This morning.” She continued. “I didn’t fall very hard but-”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He cut her off, feeling the panic grow exponentially. 

 

She shook her head as she cried harder. “I didn’t want to worry you. I’m sorry.” She trembled and moved his hand to cup her cheek.

 

“It’s okay.” He told her again, for what felt like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. “We’re going to go to the hospital and everything’s going to be okay.” He said softly, praying to the gods that he didn’t believe in that it would be. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that the updates have been slow recently, I have my dissertation due in soon so that has been eating up a lot of my time!
> 
> Please let me know if you’re still liking/ enjoying the fic as it is great motivation to keep working quickly!


	9. Chapter 9

The car journey to the hospital was eerily silent. Jaime gripped the wheel so hard his fingers ached and he tried desperately to focus on the road, insead of glancing over to her like he wanted to. She didn’t say a word, she just sat with her hands folded in her lap, staring out of the window ahead. Her whole body trembled, but he could see her shoulders slumped in defeat. He would have prefered it if she were crying. 

 

“Are you in pain?” He asked and she shook her head. “Has the bleeding stopped?” She shook her head again. He desperately tried to remember how far along she was. Seven months? Only just. But she wasn’t in any pain, that was a good thing, right?

 

“We’re nearly there.” He said softly, but when he glanced over to her he could see that she had her eyes squeezed tightly shut. “Does it hurt?” He asked again, but she shook her head. 

 

When they pulled into the hospital car park, he stopped as close to the building as he could then shut off the car. He quickly unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car, but when he got round to her side he saw that she hadn’t moved. He opened her door and rested his hand on her shoulder gently. “We’re here now.” He said softly. Her jaw tightened and she shook her head.

 

“Brienne, come on.” He said more firmly, leaning across to unfasten her seatbelt, but she pushed his hand away. 

 

“I don’t want to.” She whispered. 

 

He moved his hand to the side of her cheek, turning her to face him but she kept her eyes closed tightly. “Why not?” He asked gently.

 

“I’m scared.” She muttered into his hand and a small tear escaped her eye. 

 

He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her temple gently. “I know, but I’m here. I will be right with you the entire time. They can’t help you if we don’t go inside.” He said, desperately trying to make her come to her senses. 

 

She turned to face him and nodded her head, then let him guide her out of the car. As she stood, he noticed a damp patch had formed on the seat where she had been and he willed himself not to cry. He had to be strong for her. 

 

Arriving at the hospital passed in a blur. He was trying to hold it together, but he couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening. Less than half an hour ago they were grocery shopping and she was teasing him about buying low fat yoghurt. How could so much have changed so quickly? The last time he was in a hospital was after his accident and his phantom hand groaned in agony. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. All he could do was keep his eyes trained on her as she answered the receptionists questions. 

 

“Brienne Tarth-- Twenty Eight-- I’m thirty weeks pregnant and have been experiencing bleeding following a slip in the shower.-- No, I’m not in pain.-- Yes, we can wait.” She answered the questions one after the other, managing to hold herself together. Jaime was unsure of where her sudden bout of composure had come from, since she was so fragile in the car, but he was incredibly glad. He supposed they we’re like yin and yan, if one of them were falling apart, the other would be strong. 

 

He saw the receptionist gesture towards a waiting area and he wrapped his arm protectively around her as they walked across the room. When they sat down, he rested his right arm around her shoulders and placed his left hand on her belly, stroking her softly. Neither spoke and the air was thick with emotional tension, but she curled her fingers over his and squeezed gently. 

 

“Miss Tarth?” He heard a man’s voice from the doorway across the room and Brienne’s entire body stiffened. “If you’d like to follow me?” The man smiled and Brienne nodded her head slowly. Jaime moved his arm from her waist and interlaced their fingers as they crossed the room and followed the doctor into the cubicle he had prepared for them. In the corner of the room, a woman was setting up some ultrasound equipment. 

 

“So, Brienne, I hear you’ve had a slip in the shower and you’re worried about some bleeding you’ve experienced?” He asked as Brienne sat onto the bed. His words were slightly patronising, but his tone was warm and friendly. Brienne nodded softly and glanced nervously at Jaime. It seemed as though the self assurance she had had with the receptionist was gone and that the fear had overtaken her once more. 

 

“Well, I’m Doctor Samwell and this is nurse Gilly, and we’re going to have a little peek at your baby to see what’s going on in there.” 

 

As he smiled, Jaime wanted very much to punch him. This was not the time to try and be cute, this was fucking serious. Their baby- No. No. Her baby, was in trouble. Gods, where had that thought come from?

 

He was too wrapped up in thought to notice that he was stood in the way of the nurse trying to get to Brienne, so he quickly stepped backwards. Brienne lay on the bed and pulled up her shirt to expose her stomach, then tipped her head backwards and had her eyes trained on the ceiling. He could see her lip trembling as she drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. 

 

“This will be a little cold.” The nurse told Brienne as she applied a large amount of clear gel onto her skin. 

 

The few moments that passed whilst the nurse glided the probe against Brienne felt like an eternity. Jaime’s eyes flicked between the screen, the probe and her face, praying that everything would be okay. He didn’t know what would happen if it wasn’t. This would destroy her. 

 

And then. 

 

The sound of a gentle heartbeat filled the room. 

 

Jaime gasped softly in relief, but before he could speak he heard Brienne’s loud sob. He looked up and saw tears streaming down her cheeks. She was both laughing and crying, covering her face in her hands. He quickly maneuvered himself around the nurse and the ultrasound equipment to be closer to her head, then he crouched down so that his face was by hers. “She’s okay.” He whispered, kissing her forehead. “She’s okay.”

 

After a moment, they looked up at the screen together and Jaime’s breath was taken away. He knew that all he could see was a grainy outline, but he could still make out the shape the baby’s head and body. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. 

 

The feeling was quickly replaced however with one of crushing sadness. She was not his baby. They would never be a family. Brienne would never get to raise her daughter. None of this was real. 

 

“Just as I suspected.” Doctor Samwell said with a smile, seemingly unaware of the suddenly sombre mood. “A jolt of that kind at this stage in the pregnancy can cause a small amount of fluid leakage, giving the appearance and sensation of bleeding. It’s frightening when it happens, but nothing to worry about.” He explained, but Brienne barely took her eyes off the screen. 

 

“It didn’t feel like a small amount.” Brienne said, still not moving her eyes. 

 

“I can assure you, Miss Tarth, nothing to worry about. I will conduct the rest of the checks for peace of mind, but your daughter is in perfect health.” He assured her, and the tension seemed to leave her body all at once. She smiled softly and sighed, then tipped her head back onto the bed. He could see that she was biting her lip to keep herself from crying. 

 

Jaime left the room for a moment to offer Brienne a little privacy whilst she removed her jeans so that the doctor could perform the rest of the checks. Whilst in the corridor he allowed himself to relax, although not completely. The sounds of the hospital around him combined with the harsh white lighting brought him back to his accident, the night he desperately tried to forget. He tried to distract himself by thinking about the baby instead. 

 

She was safe. The thought brought him more relief than he thought possible. But he recapped in his head what had happened over the past hour, he realised something troubling. 

 

Brienne had slipped in the shower and fallen hard enough to cause what she thought was a bleeding and she hadn’t even told him. She was scared and in pain and she didn’t tell him. He could’ve written it off by reasoning that she didn’t want to admit to herself that something was wrong, but this wasn’t the first time that something like this had happened. 

 

When he had found her crying after her failed meeting with a prospective couple, she’d told him to get out. Then when she’d cancelled her next meeting and avoided the adoption agency, she hadn’t told him either. He knew that he didn’t have a right know anything about the baby or the adoption, but it saddened him that he wasn’t the person she turned to in her times of need. He loved her with all of his heart, he wanted to be there for her, she just had to let him in. 

 

“Mr Tarth?” The nurse said from the doorway and for a moment, he hadn’t realised that she had been talking to him. “Mr Tarth?” She asked again.

 

“Oh it’s Mr Lannister actually. Sorry. I was in a world of my own.” He explained and laughed awkwardly. 

 

“My apologies, Mr Lannister. You can come back in now, if you like?” She smiled warmly, opening the door for him. He nodded courteously and walked back into the cubicle where he saw Brienne was re-dressed and sitting upright with her legs over the edge of the bed. 

 

“Everything okay?” He asked, moving towards her with a smile and she nodded back at him. 

 

“I’ll tell you what I told your wife, Mr Tarth.” The doctor said and the nurse gave him a knowing yet apologetic smile. “Everything is perfectly fine with the baby and Brienne’s health, but it’s my recommendation that she takes it easy for a couple of days on account of the stress that’s been caused.” The doctor told him and Jaime nodded along.

 

“That won’t be a problem. Thank you for your help, doctor.” He said smiling at Brienne and offering her his arm to take. 

 

“Yes, thank you, doctor.” Brienne added with a smile, taking Jaime’s arm and allowing him to guide her out of the room. She hadn’t been in any pain but she still appeared to be unsteady on her feet due to the shock, so he wrapped his arm protectively around her. 

 

Despite the fact that she’d been given the all clear, it seemed that as soon as they left the cubicle, she shut off once more. She didn’t shrug away from his touch, but she didn’t look at him either. He wondered if the doctor referring to her as his wife may have spooked her. That was the only explanation he could think of for why she was acting so strange. 

 

The car journey back to their apartment was silent. She wouldn’t even look at him. He had to keep reassuring himself that she was just in shock over what had happened and that it was nothing more. It broke his heart to see her in the passenger seat curled into herself and shivering. “Its okay now.” He said softly, but she didn’t respond. 

 

When they pulled up outside the apartment building he shut off the car but neither moved to get out. He turned to face her but she was staring out of the passenger side window. “Brie.” He said softly and she turned to him. “Talk to me.” He pleaded, reaching out and brushing her knee with his fingertips. 

 

She hesitated slightly before moving away. “I think we should talk inside.” She said quietly, turning and getting out of the car. 

 

Walking up to the apartment is silence was like torture. She had to take the steps 

slowly and she pressed her palm into her lower back, which he quickly covered with his own hand. He helped her up to their apartment, dreading the coming conversation. ‘We need to talk’ never lead to anything good. He felt like a fool, he was going to cry before he’d even unlocked the door. 

 

“I’m going to shower and change out of these clothes.” She told him as they entered the apartment. 

 

He waited for her in the living room, anxiously wringing his left hand around his stump. He knew what was happening. The doctor had freaked her out by referring to them as a married couple. Once they’d talked it through, everything would be okay, but the wait was excruciating. Eventually, she emerged from her bedroom in clean pyjamas with damp hair and unmistakably puffy cheeks from crying. 

 

She sat beside him on the sofa and took his hand in hers, then, she took a long deep breath and looked up at him. “Jaime, I don’t think this is going to work anymore.” She said quietly, her voice trembling. 

 

Jaime felt his breath catch in his throat. This couldn’t be happening. “What do you mean?” He stammered, shaking his head. 

 

“It’s been perfect. I never thought that I would have this.” She said gesturing between them. “With anyone. But I just— I can’t do it anymore.”

 

He felt the burn of hot, wet tears streaming down his face in an instant. “You’re breaking up with me?” He asked in disbelief. 

 

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered, but he shook his head. 

 

“Brienne, I love you.” He insisted, gripping her hand.

 

At that, she started to cry too. “I love you, too.” She said shakily. Jaime’s eyes went wide. She’d never said that before. She’d joked about him saying he loved her during an argument, but she was saying it whilst she was breaking up with him.

 

“Then why? Why are you doing this?” He asked gently. He wasn’t angry with her, he just wanted to understand so that they could talk about it. 

 

She shook her head and turned away from him.

 

“If this is about the doctor calling you my wife, then I promise you I’m committed to taking this slowly. I’ll move out, if that’s what you want-” He started to try and plead with her but she cut him off.

 

“It’s not that.” She said, shaking her head. 

 

Jaime inhaled sharply as he felt another crush of pain.“Then what is it? Please, just talk to me. I love you. I want to make this work.” He asked, but she shook her head again. 

 

He looked at her for a moment then realised she wasn’t going to speak. “Why do you always do this?” He snapped angrily, getting up from the sofa and moving away from her. “Any time anything gets too emotional you shut off and refuse to talk to me. I’m begging you to talk to me and tell me what’s wrong, but you just won’t.” He said, trying not to raise his voice too much. 

 

“I don’t know what you mean.” She whispered. 

 

“What I mean is that you’ve just told me you love me, but you won’t tell me why you’re breaking up with me. Do you know how much that fucking kills me?” He yelled but she remained silent.

 

“I know you lied to me about the couple cancelling the meeting last month and I know you’ve been avoiding the agency.” He blurted out before he realised what he was saying. She dropped her face into her hands and began to cry loudly. 

 

Jaime was by her side in her instant. He curled his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. She cried into his chest for a long time and he stroked her back. “I’m sorry. It’s okay. Whatever it is, I’m here.” He whispered into her hair. 

 

“I’m sorry.” She said between sobs. After a while she pulled back to look at him and wiped her eyes with the the heels of her palms. 

 

“I want to keep the baby.” She said, her entire body trembling. 

 

Jaime felt so many emotions all at one it took his breath away. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. That’s why she had been avoiding the agency, not because she was scared. 

 

“It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, I just wasn’t sure. Then the bleeding happened. I thought I was going to lose her and it made me realise how badly I want her. And that’s why this isn’t going to work any more. I can’t ask you to support me through that. It’s not fair.” She said, moving away from his embrace but he pulled her back to him.

 

He sighed and tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear. “The only thing that isn’t fair is that you didn’t feel like you could talk to me about this sooner.” He smiled at her. “I love you, I will support you no matter what. So, if you want to keep the baby, the I’ll be right here with you.”

 

She shook her head and pulled away again. “I can’t ask you to do that.” 

 

“You’re not asking. I’m telling you, that’s what I want. If you think it would be easier without me, then I’ll move out, but if you’ll have me, I want to be a part of your lives.” He told her, resting his hand on her bump. 

 

She smiled softly as more tears rolled down her cheeks. “I love you, Jaime. I want you to stay.” She said slowly and he pulled her back into an embrace. His head dipped into the crook of her neck and he started to cry with relief. “I’m so sorry.” She whispered. “I thought I was doing the right thing.” 

 

“I know.” He told her, pulling her close.  “Its okay.” He reassured her. 

 

After a while heard her yawn softly and so he pulled back and kissed her on the temple. 

 

“How about we order some food then have an early night. Then tomorrow we can both call in sick to work and talk about everything properly?” He asked, stroking her cheek. The doctor had told them that she had to take it easy, so he thought it best that they leave the rest of the talking until she’d been able to relax. 

 

She nodded her head and smiled. “I’d like that.”

 

-x-

 

“Say it again.” Jaime said beaming up at her. He had his head in her lap as he stretched out on the sofa and she gazed at him longingly, combing her fingers through his hair. 

 

Their empty takeout boxes lay strewn across the coffee table and their film played quietly in the background. Jaime had dragged their blankets off their bed and into the living room so that they could cuddle up together after the long, stressful, emotionally draining day they’d had. It had been perfect. 

 

“I love you.” She whispered, grinning from ear to ear. Jaime would never tire of hearing those words. 

 

“Again?” He smirked and she rolled her eyes playfully. 

 

“How many times?” She laughed, stroking his cheek. 

 

“I don’t want you to ever stop saying it.” 

 

“I love you.” She told him again. 

 

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. He didn’t know if he would act as a father to her baby or just a supportive boyfriend. Would they need to move to a bigger apartment? Would she need to give up her job? Either way, he knew that whatever happened he would be by her side no matter what.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is only a short update but we are on the home stretch now. Three (ish) chapters to go. Please let me know what you think or if you’re still enjoying the story.


	10. Chapter 10

Waking up the following morning with Brienne curled up beside him felt like a dream. He felt the like he’d somehow gained a place in a heaven he had no right to. If it weren’t for the soft rise and fall of her breath, he would doubt reality. The morning sun shone through the gap in the curtains, casting a light glow across her sleeping form. 

He didn’t think it were possible to fall in love so quickly. Any rational person would say this was moving too fast. Six months ago she was just his quirky roommate, now, she was his world. Oddly, it didn’t feel rushed at all. He’d fallen in love as naturally as could be. Yes, maybe for most people starting a new relationship with a baby due imminently sound like a nightmare, but he was beside himself with excitement. 

He didn’t know yet if Brienne would want him to be a father to her daughter or just someone to support her,, but either way it would be an honour to be a part of her life. He imagined himself pushing her stroller through the park, or waiting by the gates on her first day of school and thought was almost too joyous to bare. When he reached his 40’s, he began to believe that he would never have a family of his own, and then when he lost his hand, he gave up on the idea entirely. But the gods had seemingly given him a second chance. He vowed to do everything he could do, give everything he had, to protect Brienne and her baby for as long as he may live. 

As he thought, he found himself drawn to Brienne’s bump. Gently, trying not to wake her, he wound his left hand under her shirt and placed his palm onto her skin. He traced delicate patterns with his fingertips, thinking about how he felt like the luckiest man alive. There was a lot to talk about; whether they should move out of the apartment, whether Brienne could organise maternity leave at such short notice, how they would tell their friends and family, but none of that mattered right now. Not in this perfect moment. 

After a little while, Brienne started to stir beneath his touch and her eyes seemed to be on the verge of fluttering open. Jaime could see the exact moment she woke up and realised where she was, because a soft, sleepy grin broke out across her face. He nuzzled into her neck as she woke up, feeling his slight stubble grazing her skin. “Good morning.” He whispered, kissing her jaw. 

“That tickles.” She mumbled groggily, grinning and cuddling in closer to him. He gave her a few minutes to wake, then started stroking her bump with his hand once more. 

“And good morning to you, little one.” He said softly, caressing the skin of her stomach. “Did you sleep well?” He asked, directing his question towards the baby instead of Brienne, who was grinning like a fool. 

Seeing that she had woken up a little more, he pulled back her t-shirt and shuffled down the bed so that he could lay on his stomach and be eye level with her bump. “Jaime, what are you doing?” She laughed, combing her fingers through his hair. 

“It’s so that she can hear me better.” He explained, dropping a kiss onto her skin and she laughed warmly again.

“Hello, you.” He said softly. “I don’t know if you heard, but you’re going to be coming to live with us very soon. We can’t wait to meet you.” He told the bump while Brienne combed her fingers through his hair. “Me and you are going to be best friends.”

“Hey.” Brienne said with a laugh. “I thought I was your best friend.” She said with a smirk. 

Jaime snapped his eyes up to her. “You can have more than one best friend.” He said seriously, like a petulant child. A look of worry flashed across her face, but he couldn’t keep up the seriousness any longer and he smirked widely, letting her know he was teasing her. 

She swatted his arm playfully. “Jamie.” She groaned as he chuckled. He moved from his position on his stomach to trail kisses up her body, tickling her as she laughed. When he reached her face she was practically screaming with laughter and gently pushing him away, so he stopped his tickling and dropped a kiss onto the end of her nose. 

For a moment, the laughter stopped. He hovered over her and they stared into each other’s eyes in adoration. “I can’t believe this is real.” She whispered. 

“Me neither.” He said softly, feeling a lump in his throat. 

“We’re going to be parents.” She grinned. 

Parents. 

Plural. She wanted him to be her father. Jaime felt the lump in his throat growing larger. 

Her eyes went wide as she realised what she said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to presume.” She stammered, but he cut her off.

“Brienne, if that’s what you want-” He started, but his breath caught in his throat. “If you want me to be her father, it would be an honour.” He finally managed. “I know enough from my own shitty dad that biology alone doesn’t make you a parent. A father is the person who raises their child. The one who stays up while she cries, or comforts her when she’s scared. I want to be that person for her, if you’ll let me. I can’t promise that I will be the perfect father, but I can promise that I will always be there for both of you.” 

By the time he’d finished, Brienne was crying. She nodded her head, swiping away the tears. “Of course I want that.” She said insistently. “But how can you be so sure?” She asked nervously, but he knew what she was trying to say. 

How will you be able to love a child that isn’t yours?

“I love you, Brienne. And I love her.” He said, stroking his thumb against her bump. “I think about her all the time. You and her are the only two things I think about anymore. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I don’t care. I’m strong enough.”

She nodded her head again and pulled him in for a kiss. When they parted, she pressed their foreheads together. “I love you. I don’t deserve you.” 

He shushed her and kissed her again. “You deserve the world.” 

-x-

A short while later they got out of bed so that they could talk properly, but not before he’d kissed her stupid. After having been in the hospital the day before, he was worried that it was too soon for sex, so he didn’t try, but he would’ve kissed her until he ran out of air. 

Once Jaime had made them both a cup of tea, they sat across from one another at the table. She sighed deeply, but smiled at him and he knew how she felt. He was overjoyed and incredibly excited, but the baby would be there in less than two months and they were not prepared in the slightest. This was going to be a stressful period for them and there was a lot to talk about. 

“Where do you want to start?” He asked with a smirk and she groaned slightly. “How about we start with the apartment? Do you think we need to move?”

She thought for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t think I could handle the additional stress of moving house.” She laughed. 

“Of course.” He agreed quickly. “Besides, the location is great and it’s plenty big enough if I share with you and this little one has my room.” He suggested caressing her bump, assuming that was where they were heading. She blushed deeply and her face broke into a smirk. “What is it?” He asked. 

“It’s just exciting.” She grinned and he grinned back at her. Gods, he loved her so much. 

“I’m sorry, but I’ve always wanted to know. How did you afford to buy this place?” 

A sad look passed over her face and he wished he wouldn’t have asked. “My mother left me a large amount of money when she passed away, which I was entitled to when I turned 18. My father encouraged me to buy an apartment in the capital so that I could leave Evenfall and do something with my life. I bought this place a few months later.”

“What were you roommates like before me?” He asked, fascinated by hearing about her life. 

“I never had a roommate before you.” She smiled fondly, reaching out to hold his hand. 

“What changed your mind?” He asked in confusion. He knew she was just about to start her job as an architect when he’d moved in, so she definitely wouldn’t have needed the money. 

She sighed slightly and looked away from him. He could tell she didn’t want to talk about it, but just last night she’d promised to be more open with him, so he gave her a moment to go on. “I was lonely.” She said so quietly that it broke his heart.

He leaned over to kiss her softly and then pressed his lips to her forehead. “I love you so much.” He told her softly. He couldn’t undo how she’d felt before they met and couldn’t undo how much of an ass he’d been when he’d first moved in, but he could promise that from now on, everything would be different. 

“I love you too.” She told him, kissing him again. After a moment, she pulled away. “Besides, that reminds me, you don’t need to pay rent anymore.” 

“Won’t you need the money?” He asked her, unwilling to live there for free. 

She shook her head and smiled. “I barely spend any of the money you give me. I don’t need it.”

“Well, I imagine that will come in useful very soon.” He chuckled. From the sound of it, they both had a decent amount of money saved, and Jaime had a significant untouched sum of money which had been given to him by his father after he was dismissed from the company after his accident, but raising a child was going to be expensive. He decided that they could save the intricate number crunching for a later date, they could stick to the excitement for now. 

“Is it too late for you to request maternity leave?” He asked her, hoping to move the conversation onward. 

She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and looked unsure. “I don’t know. That was one of the things I was dreading. I’m probably going to lose all my clients and contacts during my time out, but there’s no way around it. I won’t send her to daycare whilst she’s an infant.” She sighed, rubbing her palm affectionately over her abdomen. 

Jaime pondered for a moment, but the solution hit him like a ton of bricks. “I can quit my job.” He blurted out. 

“I can’t ask you to-” She stammered, but he cut her off. 

“Brienne, I hate my job. I have more than enough money saved to last until you’re ready to send her to daycare and then I can start figuring out what it is that I want to do with the rest of my life. You’ll be able to focus on your career and go back to work when you’re ready.” She looked hesitant so he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I promised you that I was going to support you and I intend to keep that promise.”

She smiled and moved her hand to stroke his cheek. “You’re going to be a brilliant father.” She told him softly. Jaime felt a lump in his throat and tears pricking at his eyes. He was going to be a father. It still didn’t feel real. 

They spent the next hour talking about the ins and outs of everything they would need to prepare over the coming months. They decided that Brienne would ask for a period of maternity leave followed by a period of working from home before going back to work and that Jaime would hand in his notice as soon as possible. They also decided to open a shared bank account, which Jaime found to be incredibly exciting. When they were finished talking for the time being, they relocated to the sofa where they curled up together picking furniture to the baby’s room on Jaime’s laptop. 

They had selected a crib, a chest of drawers and a changing table when Jaime had an idea. “We could drive to the childcare store that’s just outside of King’s Landing if you’re up for it?” He suggested. He had his arm draped lazily around her shoulder and she was nuzzled into his side, and he happily could’ve stayed like that for the rest of the day, but he thought picking out things in person could be a little more exciting. 

“I’d like that.” She beamed widely. 

-x- 

When they pulled up at the store and got out of the car, Brienne’s eyes widened in shock, as did Jaime’s. The store was gigantic. Jaime found them a shopping cart as they entered the building and they took in the surroundings. As they walked through the isles, he could feel the anxiety radiating off Brienne. 

She walked very close to his side with her hand resting protectively on her bump and her eyes wide as she looked at the various items on sale. High tech bottle warmers, baby monitors and entertainment systems to name a few. It was all very excessive. And overwhelming. Brienne was starting to hunch inwards towards herself. He could tell she was unbelievably stressed. 

“Hey.” He said, stopping the cart and wrapping his shortened right arm around her waist. “It’s okay. We can leave if you want.” He said softly. 

She shook her head insistently. “No, its okay. Just a little overwhelming.” She laughed nervously. 

“I know.” He told her, rubbing her back soothingly. “How about we just get the basics for today?” He suggested and she nodded, sighing gently in relief. 

They ended up choosing a selection of babygrows, a car seat for infants, nappies and a decorative mobile for the ceiling, amongst a few other basics, before deciding to call it a day and drive home. 

Once back at the apartment, Brienne sat on her bed with her legs stretched out in front of her scrolling through websites, giving advice to expectant mothers, whilst Jaime gradually moved his belongings from his room into hers. Both the doors between their rooms were propped open and he would bring an armful of his things across the hall then dump them in a pile on the end of her bed for organising. 

Adding his clothes to Brienne’s closet and his various things to the top of her dresser was way more exciting than it should have been. It was as though he could see their lives intertwining before his eyes. 

“Jaime, which of these blankets do you prefer?” She asked, turning her laptop towards him. 

He glanced over for a moment. One was a pale lilac colour and the other was white with tiny grey stars. “Get them both.” He told her, as he had done with the last three things she’d asked him to choose between. He wasn’t trying to be dismissive of her, he could’ve done online shopping for the baby with her all night, he just wanted their little girl to have everything she could ever need. 

She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Jaime, she’s going to be spoiled rotten before she’d even born at this rate.” She chuckled. 

He dropped the pile of t-shirts he was folding and crossed the room to the bed then took her laptop from her hand and set it on the floor. Then, he pushed her shoulders gently so that she lay on the mattress and began dropping light kisses onto her neck. “Neither of my girls will ever want for anything, for the rest of their lives.” He told her between kisses. He knew that referring to her as one of ‘his girls’ was very old fashioned and that ordinarily she’d hate it, but she giggled and blushed under his kisses. 

As he kissed her, he moved his left hand to tickle her side, eliciting her glorious laughter. “Stop.” She squealed after a few minutes, so he let her go, falling down next to her on the bed. Once their laughter had subsided they turned on their sides to face one another and he raised his hand to brush her cheek gently. “I love you.” She said softly. 

He pulled her into a tight embrace, winding his arms around her and slipping his leg between hers and that’s how they stayed for a long time. They lay in silence, tracing their fingers over one another lightly. Jaime would never stop being in awe at how much his left had changed in such a short amount of time. 

“Do you have any ideas for a name?” He said after a while, caressing her belly and he felt her shaking her head. 

“I never really thought about it.” She admitted. “Do you have any ideas?” She asked and he was taken back slightly. He didn’t realise she would want his input. 

“I’ve never thought about it either.” He chuckled. “We’ll think of something when the time is right.”

“She’s just Baby Girl Tarth- Lannister for now.” Brienne laughed. 

Jaime’s eyes flew open in surprise. “Lannister?” He stammered. 

“Of course.” She smiled, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. He couldn’t help but kiss her again, trying to convey how much he adoration he had for her. 

“I love you so much.” He growled between kisses. As they kissed he trailed his hand over her body, desperate to feel her, and she moaned softly when he grazed her breast. 

“Are you sure you’re ready?” He asked, weary of her visit to the hospital just yesterday. She nodded her head then pulled him into another kiss and he was more than happy to oblige. 

-x- 

When they were finished, they lay naked and tangled beneath the bedsheets, panting to catch their breath. Jaime thought about how perfect it was to simultaneously be in the new stages of a relationship, where they couldn’t keep their hands off one another, but also be just about to start their family. Everything was happening all at once, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Before too long, she’d fallen asleep curled against his side, so he grabbed her laptop from the floor and continued shopping for the baby. He quickly realised that when it came to the baby, he had no impulse control. He ordered a ridiculous amount tiny socks, hats and baby grows that she would certainly grow out of rapidly, but he didn’t care. He also ordered a sling, imagining Brienne carrying her around close to her chest as often as she could.

Brienne had decided that she would have another day off work, since there was so much to think about and she was still overwhelmed, but Jaime on the other hand couldn’t wait to go back to work so that he could hand in his notice. Eventually, the hours of online shopping caught up with him and he decided it was time for bed.

Picking out his pyjamas and getting ready for bed in Brienne’s room, well now their room, was unfamiliar, but he loved it. He didn’t feel like he was intruding on her space, since she’d made him feel so welcome, it just felt right. Also, the fact that she was sleeping peacefully right beside him brought him more joy than she could ever know. 

The next morning when he woke up, he realised that she’d woken up before him so he left their room to find her and say good morning before he had to get ready for work. He was about to walk towards the kitchen when he heard the sound of humming coming from the baby’s room. An enormous grin broke out over his face as he nudged open the door and saw her folding the onesies they had bought on their trip to the store yesterday and stacking them neatly in his old drawers. 

“Good morning.” She beamed as watched her from the doorway. He crossed the room to pull her into an embrace and kiss her cheek, then took one of the white onesies from her hands. It was unbelievably tiny and he felt his heart melt. 

“Every time I think I can’t get any happier, something like this happens and I realise how wrong I was.” He told her softly, draping the onesie over his right arm and stroking it with the fingertips of his left hand. 

He stayed with her for as long as he could before he had to leave to get ready for work. As excited as he was to hand in his notice, he knew that it would be met with many questions. As far as anyone from work knew, Jaime was unattached, but today he would be telling Catelyn that he was quitting to support the mother of his child. He imagined that the conversation wasn’t going to be an easy one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter has taken so long to upload, I have so much university work on at the minute! Please let me know if you're still enjoying this story, it's very encouraging to me. Also, if anyone has any ideas for a name for the baby feel free to make a suggestion, since that something I'm struggling with!


	11. Chapter 11

Catelyn Stark was an odd sort of woman. She usually emitted very a warm and understanding aura, yet in the blink of an eye, she could give you a cold icy stare that sent shivers down your spine. Right now, Jaime was on the receiving end of the latter. 

“So, you’re handing in your letter of resignation in preparation for the birth of your daughter, but you’ve waited until two months before she’s due to even tell me that you have a girlfriend?” She said, eyeing him sceptically. 

Jaime sighed nervously and ran his hand through his hair. “I do have a life outside of work, you know. I don’t have to tell you everything.”

“Jaime.” She warned angrily. “You’re under an obligation to warn me in advance if you’re planning on resigning.”

Jaime sighed and looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry, it was a recent decision. I really would’ve told you sooner if I could.” He said, hoping that she would assume he meant it was a recent decision that he would quit his job, not a recent decision to keep the baby. 

“Is this why you called in sick yesterday?”

Jaime nodded quickly. “Yes, um- she had to go to the hospital on Sunday. I needed to be with her.” He felt slightly guilty, as that wasn’t the entire truth, but she didn’t need to know that. 

“Jaime, you should’ve told me.” She said softly and the cold look faded from her face, being replaced immediately with a look of concern. 

“No, it’s fine. Brienne and the baby are both fine.” He clarified quickly. 

A look of confusion crossed across Catelyn’s face briefly. “Brienne?” She asked. 

“Yes? That’s her name?” He answered with an awkward laugh. 

Catelyn’s look of confusion passed quickly and was replaced with a warm smile once more. “I don’t think you’d mentioned her name. It’s a lovely one. Very uncommon.” 

Jaime shrugged and smiled affectionately. Yes, he supposed it was a lovely name. The perfect name for a perfect woman. 

“So, my resignation?” He asked awkwardly. 

She sighed and smiled. “It’s not ideal, but I can’t stop you. All I ask is that you finish up your remaining accounts and inform your clients yourself.” 

He nodded with a grin. “Of course. Thank you.” He said, unable to keep the smile off his face. “Sorry, it just feels really… real now.” He said bashfully. 

She smirked at him, her eyes lighting up in an odd mixture of understanding and amusement. “You’ll be a wonderful father, Jaime.” She said sincerely, and he felt a lump in his throat. 

-x- 

As he walked back to his office he felt like he was floating on cloud nine. He worked his way through his through his accounts and clients, compiling his todo list for the next few weeks, all the while thinking about how much he couldn’t wait to get home to Brienne. At around noon, his phone lit up with Brienne’s name and he answered with the excitement of a schoolboy getting a call from his crush. 

“Missing me already?” He teased flirtily. 

“A little.” She said coyly and he could practically hear the smirk in her voice. 

“Are you having a good day?”

“Yes, but I’ve barely sat down all morning, there’s been non stop deliveries.” She laughed and he silently thanked himself for splurging on next day delivery, imagining her excitement with every new package.

“I may have gotten carried away.” He chuckled and she laughed too.

“Jaime you’ve ordered six pairs of shoes for her. Babies don’t even need shoes!” She laughed and he laughed too, remembering that there was almost certainly a seventh pair on the way.

After the laughter settled, she sighed softly. “I love you so much.” She said quietly and he could tell she was getting emotional. 

“I can’t wait to get home.” He told her, and he wasn’t lying. He couldn’t imagine a time for the rest of his life when he wouldn’t be excited to get home and see her. 

-x- 

As Jaime drove home from work, he decided that now was as good of a time as any to call Tyrion and tell him they were keeping the baby. They wouldn’t be able to hide it forever and Tyrion was the only one of his family members that he didn’t dread having the conversation with. At first, his brother had been worried that he’d persuaded Brienne, until Jaime promised him that it was all her own idea, he was just wholeheartedly committed to supporting her.

Tyrion had made a few jokes, such as how their daughter would likely be bigger than him before she could stand, which was to be expected, but he’d also been very sincere in his concern. He worried, like any brother would, that Jaime was rushing into this, but Jaime made sure to swear on everything he held dear that he was ready. 

At the end of the phone call, he had almost made Jaime weep. 

“You will be a better father than ours. You might just be the best father that a Lannister man has ever been.” He told him softly. 

Jaime didn’t presume to think he would be the best father, but he told Tyrion that all he saw himself doing for the rest of his days was loving Brienne and their daughter. He was still getting used to the idea that she wasn’t just Brienne’s daughter, that she was to be his too, and every time he reminded himself of that fact he felt a tug in his heart. 

He practically skipped up the steps two at a time, impatient to see Brienne and what additions she’d made to the baby’s room, but when he opened their front door, he got a whiff of perfume that wasn’t hers and knew instantly that it meant trouble. 

“We were beginning to think you were never coming home.” Cersei smirked at him from the sofa as he entered the living room. She had Tommen sat in her lap, who was gazing happily at the unfamiliar surroundings. Brienne was sat in the armchair looking like a deer caught in headlights, but she wasn’t crying, so he guessed that was a positive. His mouth gaped as he stared between the two women, unsure of what to say. 

“You know,” Cersei started. “When you turned up at my house all that time ago, asking strange questions about children and pregnancy, I knew something was wrong. I just assumed that some girl you’d fucked had missed her period, sending you spiralling into a crisis. So imagine my surprise when I visit your home to find your seven month pregnant girlfriend, holding this.” She said, holding up a baby grow with the words Tarth-Lannister embroidered on the back. 

He hadn’t ordered that, and he knew there would’ve been no time for Brienne to either, but the sheepish, hesitant smile on her face told him everything he needed to know. She’d made it herself. The fact that she could embroider didn’t surprise him, given the fact that her work with intricate architecture software must require her to have a steady hand, no, what surprised him was the fact that she’d taken the time to create something so meaningful. His heart warmed at the gesture and he beamed at Brienne, forgetting that Cersei was even in the room. 

“Seven hells Jaime, were you planning on never telling anyone?” Cersei snapped, startling Tommen and breaking the moment. 

“Cersei, it’s complicated.” He offered meekly. 

Cersei sighed deeply and looked between him and Brienne. “Sit down then.” She said, and he did as he was told. “How long have you been together?” She asked, and he looked awkwardly at Brienne. 

“Not very long.” He said reluctantly. 

“Well clearly long enough.” Cersei quipped, gesturing to Brienne’s bump.

He looked over at Brienne and saw that she was practically shaking. She looked more uncomfortable than he’d ever seen her in his life. He knew that Cersei meant well, but they needed a little more time before Brienne had to feel the wrath of the Lannister judgement. “Look, Cers” He said tentatively. Gods, this was the second time he was going to use this excuse today. “I appreciate that this is all very confusing, but Brienne had to go to the hospital on Sunday and we’re both still feeling a little delicate. So would you mind if we continued this conversation another time?”

Cersei’s face fell into a look of concern instantly. “Gods, is everything okay?” She asked Brienne. 

Brienne’s eyes widened in shock. “Yes. Everything is fine. It’s all just very overwhelming at the moment.” She practically stammered out. 

“Of course.” Cersei said in a deeply sympathetic tone. Jaime didn’t even know Cersei was capable of feeling sympathy, let alone conveying it. Nobody spoke for a moment and the tension seemed to be thick in the air until Tommen let of a stream of incomprehensible baby garbles. Cersei laughed affectionately and stroked his head, then looked back to Brienne. “Would you like to hold him?” Brienne looked nervously at Jaime and he nodded his head, indicating he should say yes, which she eventually did. 

Jaime watched as Cersei placed Tommen onto Brienne’s lap and she held him in a way that looked incredibly awkward and unnatural. The child shifted and wriggled in discomfort, reaching out his arms and grabbing for Cersei. 

“He can tell you’re stressed. Try to relax.” Cersei said encouragingly. 

Brienne nodded and laughed awkwardly, attempting to get Tommen to settle on her lap, but it was to no avail. Jaime was about to make a joke when he saw tears at the corners of Brienne’s eyes. “I can’t-” She muttered, looking to Jaime to save her as Tommen began to cry. 

“I think you should take him back. He looks hungry.” Jaime said softly to Cersei, who smiled widely at Brienne as she picked up the child. 

“Sorry, he doesn’t always take well to strangers.” She said reassuringly.

Brienne swallowed and inhaled sharply. He could see she was about to cry. “Excuse me.” She said softly, standing up and leaving the room quickly. 

Jaime wanted to run after her, but knew he couldn’t leave Cersei standing alone in their living room, so he hesitated over what to do, but Cersei quickly picked up her bag and coat. “Go and make sure she’s okay. Call me when you can.” She said with a smile. Jaime thanked her and kissed her cheek, then dropped a kiss onto Tommen’s head before rushing towards the corridor. 

“Jaime?” Cersei said as she was about to leave. “I’m really happy for you.” She grinned before closing the door behind her. 

He found Brienne crying underneath the blankets on their bed and quickly toed off his shoes to climb in beside her. “Hey.” He said softly, pulling her into his chest. “Its okay.” He told her as she cried. 

Previously, he would’ve worried that she would refuse to tell him what was wrong, but now he knew that if he waited, she would tell him when she was ready. After a few minutes, her cries turned to sniffles against the material of his shirt. “I’m going to be a terrible mother.” She whispered and his heart broke. 

He nudged her away from his chest so that he could cup her face in his hand. “Look at me.” He said softly, but she shook her head. 

“I can’t even hold a baby properly. I have no idea what to do. I’m useless. I’m not fit to be a mother.” She stammered but he cut her off by shaking his head. 

“Brie, please.” He said , tilting her chin again. This time she opened her eyes to look at him. “You are the most caring, loving, intelligent and strong woman in the world. I’m scared too. I don’t know how to change a nappy, or what it means when they cry. All we can do is be ready to learn. And you’re ready, I know you are. We’re going to figure all of this out together.” He told her. She sighed deeply and nodded her head then nuzzled into his embrace. 

“Sorry.” She whispered. 

“Don’t be sorry. You’re allowed to be scared.” He said as he stroked her hair. “Why don’t you show me all the new additions to her room?” He suggested, but she shook her head. 

“I just want to lay here with you.” She sighed. And gods, he wanted that too. 

-x- 

“Victoria?” 

“No.”

“Josie?”

“No.”

“Sofia?”

“No.”

Jaime laughed as Brienne rejected one name suggestion after the next. He’d started reeling off names absentmindedly as he traced patterns with his fingertips on her back, but now he had become determined to find something she liked. They were going to have to name her eventually, after all. 

She’d politely declined the idea of naming her after Brienne’s mother or any other family member, as she didn’t want the name of their daughter to have any reason to bring them pain, which he understood completely. But it meant that there was no real system to the names he was suggesting, he just said the first thing that popped into his head. He worried briefly that she might regret not giving their daughter a meaningful name, but her entire pregnancy had been overwhelmingly emotional. He understood her desire to chose her name based on the plain and simple reason of that’s what they wanted to call her. 

“Anna?”

“No.” She sighed. “None of these names feel right.” She groaned and he continued stroking her back.

“It’s okay. You’ll know it when you hear it.” He reassured her. “Evelyn?” He suggested after a moment. 

“N- ouch.” She said, bringing her hand to her bump. 

He moved to look at her quickly. “What’s wrong?” He asked frantically, scanning her face. 

She smiled and shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong, she just kicked me. Hard.” She laughed, then guided Jaime’s hand to the place where she’d kicked. 

“Do you know what that means?” He said, wiggling his eyebrows at her as they waited for the next kick. She shook her head and laughed. “She likes the name Evelyn.” He smirked. 

“That’s not what it-” she started, but the baby kicked again, right below Jaime’s hand. 

He grinned widely at her, moving his face closer to her bump. “Are you trying to tell us you like the name Evelyn, little one?” He asked as she kicked. When he looked back up at Brienne, she didn’t look amused but rather hesitant an unsure. He moved back up to her face. “What’s wrong? I was only joking. It’s okay if you don’t like the name.” He smiled at her. 

She shook her head. “It’s not that.” She said softly. “My father’s nickname during his time in the armed forces was The Evenstar, because our hometown was Evenfall. I know it’s not the same but-” She stated to explain. 

“It’s okay.” He told her softly. “I understand.”

He saw her lip wobble and tears brimming in her eyes. “But she likes the name.” Brienne said sadly, screwing her face up into a frown. 

Jaime chuckled and pulled her against his chest. “It’s okay. It was just a coincidence. Try and forget about it.” 

Neither spoke for a long while and Jaime returned to idly stroking her back, enjoying the feeling of her warm breath against his neck as they held one another. He was about to suggest they get up so that he could make dinner when she broke the silence. 

“We could call her Evie for short?” She whispered and then it was settled. 

Their daughter’s name was Evelyn. Evelyn Tarth Lannister. 

-x-

The next four weeks passed in a wave of excited preparation. All the furniture had been moved out of Jaime’s old bedroom to make space for Evelyn’s things and he spent every weekend in there with Brienne. Her bump was getting larger every day, so Jaime did most of the heavy lifting and assembling, but Brienne would help out when she could, since Jaime was working with only one hand. Between the two of them, they managed to get the room almost entirely ready for her arrival. 

He knew it was pre-emptive, but put together an overnight bag for the hospital with everything they needed as soon as she entered her ninth month. They still had a few weeks to go, but Jaime wanted to do everything he could to ensure it ran smoothly, so the bag had a permanent place in the boot of his car. Brienne insisted on working right up until her due date, which worried him, but she promised him every morning that she was okay. Jaime on the other hand, couldn’t wait to finish. He’d also told Catelyn that he would work until her due date at the end of the month, but the days felt so excruciatingly long. 

He had one of Evelyn’s scans in a frame on his desk beside a picture of him and Brienne grinning like fools. She hated having her photo taken, so Jaime had to catch her by surprise and make her laugh before he snapped a photo. In the past few months he’d probably taken hundreds of photos, either of the two of them together or of Brienne on her own. He wanted to remember everything. When Evie was grown, he wanted to be able to show her the picture of Brienne with the biggest smile he’d ever seen, holding a jar of pickles in one hand and cradling her bump with the other. The inspiration behind that photo had been how Jaime teased her that her bump was probably half baby and half pickle at this point. 

Jaime was just about to pick up the phone to call the next client on his list and inform them that their accounts would be handed to a different manager when his mobile started vibrating in his pocket. His face lit up when he saw Brienne’s name on his screen and he wondered briefly if that excitement would ever fade. He hoped that it wouldn’t.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” He grinned as he answered the phone. 

“Hello, is this Jaime Lannister?” An unfamiliar male voice asked. 

Jaime felt a wave of panic immediately. “Yes. Who is this? Where’s Brienne?” He hoped she’d just left her phone in a cafe or something stupid. 

“This is Renly Baratheon, Bri-”

“Yes, Brienne’s boss. I know who you are. Is Brienne okay?” Jaime stammered, quickly shutting off his computer and getting ready to leave. 

“She’s gone into labour.” Renly told him and Jaime felt like he couldn’t breathe. 

“No. It’s too early. Maybe it’s false labour pains? Tell her I’m on my way to pick her up now.” He said in disbelief. 

“Her water has broken, Mr Lannister. My sister is getting ready to drive her to the hospital.” 

No. This wasn’t happening today. They weren’t ready, they were supposed to have a few more weeks. Jaime felt his entire body trembling. 

“No, I should be the one to drive her to the hospital. Can I speak to her?” If he could just speak to her they could reassure each other that everything would be okay. 

“I think it will be much faster if we meet you there.” Renly reassured him, but Jaime was unsure. He started to protest but Renly cut him off. “Brienne is in very safe hands.”

Jaime took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down. “Okay, tell her I’ll be there as soon as possible. And that I love her.” What he really wanted to say that he was incredibly proud of her and he was trying his best to stay strong but, fuck, he was scared. 

When the phone call ended, he readied himself to leave, took some more deep breaths, then sat down into his desk chair. He couldn’t get his breathing under control. He was sweating and trembling. This was supposed to be the best day of his life, so why was he so fucking afraid. He ran his fingers through his hair and vowed to pull himself together, but he couldn’t seem to stand up. He thought he was about to cry when he heard a knock at his office door. 

“Jaime? I’m just checking whether you- Seven Hells, what’s happened?” Catelyn said as she walked into his office, stopping in surprise when she saw his face. 

Jaime took a deep breath then opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. “Brienne has gone into labour.” He said softly. 

“Gods, what’re you doing still here?” Catelyn said urgently, screwing up her face into a frown when he didn’t move.

“I can’t.” He stammered. “I don’t know what to do.” Jaime had a million thoughts running through his mind, but the loudest one was I’m not ready. But then he looked Brienne’s grinning face in the photo frame on his desk and reminded himself that this wasn’t about him. Every minute he wasn’t with her, she was alone. He had to be strong for her, just like he’d promised he would be. He scrambled to get up from from his desk. 

What if I’m not going to be a good father?

What if she knows I’m not her father and she hates me?

“Jaime.” Catelyn said softly, breaking him from his thoughts. “Sit down for a moment.”

He shook his head quickly. “I don’t have time.” 

“Just a moment.” She said, with a calm, kind look in her eye. He sighed and sat down as she sat in the chair opposite him. “I know that you’re not the biological father of Brienne’s baby.” Jaime felt his heart pounding in his chest as she spoke, but he was unable to reply. “My daughter Sansa told me about her friend Brienne, who was planning on giving her baby up for adoption until she decided to raise her with her boyfriend. Then a few days later you come into my office and tell me that your girlfriend Brienne is pregnant and you’ve only just decided to tell me. It was too much of a coincidence for it not to be the same girl.”

Jaime didn’t know what to say. She’d known this whole time but never said anything. He felt like he’d been caught in some kind of scandalous lie, but why should he care? He loved Evelyn with all his heart. She was his daughter. Fuck biology. He nodded his head sheepishly, assuming she was planning on making a point. 

“I know you’re afraid, but I’ve been watching you over this past month. When we met, I assumed you were the type of man who would never stop being angry at the world, but you’ve changed. You come to work with a smile on your face every morning. You tell people about your little girl at every chance you get. You’re happy. You’re excited. It’s wonderful to see. You may not be her biological parent, but Jaime, you’re going to be such a brilliant father. Better than most. I know this day is daunting and no matter how prepared you think you are, you never truly are prepared enough, but you’re ready.”

Fuck, he was crying. He was a grown man, crying in front of his boss. He rubbed his eyes with his left hand to swipe away the tears. “Fuck. Sorry.” He muttered, but the tears wouldn’t stop coming. “Sorry.” He said again, laughing awkwardly. Catelyn shook her head and smiled in understanding. 

“How about I drive you to the hospital so that you can call Brienne on the way?” She offered, and he nodded his head. 

He picked up his laptop bag and coat then followed her to the door but before they left she turned to face him once more. “You’re a good man.” She told him sincerely. 

“I don’t know about that.” He chuckled. “All I know is that I would go to the ends of the earth for Brienne and I can’t wait to meet our daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading! 
> 
> This fic is two chapters away from being finished now and I'm currently mulling over ideas for what to write next. If anyone that enjoys my writing has any concepts/prompts they'd like to see written then feel free to let me know!


	12. Chapter 12

By the time Catelyn and Jaime arrived at the hospital, he felt like no more than a puddle of sweat and tears in her passenger seat. Brienne had not been answering her phone, but Renly’s sister Margaery had assured him that both her and the baby were perfectly fine and she was preparing for birth with the midwife. All he wanted was to see Brienne. He was nervous and excited and practically giddy with anticipation, but he imagined that it would be inexplicably more intense for her. 

He barely gave Catelyn a chance to slow down the car before he had jumped out, grabbed the maternity bag that he’d picked up from his own car and sprinted towards the hospital. He wove his way through the corridors until he found the maternity ward and thought that he must’ve looked like a panting lunatic when he arrived. 

As he pushed the door to the waiting room open, a young woman with a bright smile approached him. “You must be Jaime, I’m-”

Margaery. He recognised her voice from the phone. He didn’t have time for small talk. “Where is Brienne?” He cut her off before she could finish. 

If she thought him rude, her face gave no indication of it. She simply smiled and gestured to the ward corridor. “Room three. Renly and I will be here if you need anything at all.” She told him, nodding over her shoulder to a young, dark haired man. 

Jaime nodded awkwardly at Renly. He was grateful that they’d been there to support Brienne while he wasn’t, but he wished they’d just leave. Part of him though they were intruding on his experience, trying to encroach on his daughter before she was even born, but that was probably just his possessive streak rearing its ugly head. 

“Don’t let us keep you.” Margaery smiled and he nodded at her gratefully before darting down the corridor to find Brienne. 

When he pushed open the door to the room, he was taken aback slightly. She was laying in bed dressed in a pale blue hospital gown, clutching the rails at either side with a vice like grip. She was blowing air out steadily through her mouth and her face was screwed up in pain. Her hair was slick against her forehead with sweat, her eyes were puffy and her skin the colour of a beetroot. 

Yet, somehow, he truly didn’t think he’d ever seen her look more beautiful. 

He fucking adored her. 

“Brie.” He said softly from the doorway, getting her attention. 

Her face broke into a smile despite the fact that she was clearly in excruciating pain. “Jaime.” She said breathlessly, stretching out her arm for him. He was by her side in an instant and clasping her hand in his. 

“How bad is the pain?” He asked, stroking her hair away from her forehead. 

She let out a small laugh through gritted teeth. “Bearable.” She stammered through shallow breaths. 

“Shall I find the midwife?” He asked, glancing around the room and looking for a phone or buzzer system. 

Brienne shook her head quickly. “She’s gone to find the porter to take me to the delivery room. It’s time.” She told him, clutching his hand. They both grinned and laughed slightly and he could see the tears, hopefully of joy, rolling down her cheeks. 

Gods, it was time. It still didn’t feel real. Jaime felt tears well in his eyes too and moved his hand to cup her cheek, then kissed her softly on the lips followed by a kiss on her forehead. “I’m so proud of you.” He whispered gently. 

The time that passed next whirred by Jaime in a blur. Brienne was rolled to the delivery suite and Jaime was given some scrubs to wear over his clothes. He vaguely remembered being introduced to the medical staff, then he was ushered to stand beside Brienne’s head, letting her squeeze his hand to combat the pain since she had refused the epidural. She gripped him so hard that he briefly considered for a moment that this was his only hand, but then she practically roared in pain and he decided against it. She could tear the damn thing off if she wanted to. 

Jaime felt like his head was spinning and he found it hard to do anything other than whisper reassurances to Brienne. Not only was he in a hospital, which triggered a large amount of unresolved trauma from his accident, not only was the love of his life screaming in pain beside him, but he was also mere minutes away from being a father. His breathing was way too quick and he thought he was almost certainly on the verge of hyperventilation. 

Then he heard the sound that stopped his breath in his throat. A loud, high pitched wail. 

Evelyn was here at last. 

Jaime frantically tried to catch a glimpse of her as she was whisked away by the medical staff, but her loud, powerful cry reassured him that she was okay. He then diverted his attention back to Brienne, whose head had rolled back onto the bed. Her eyes were softly closed as she panted to catch her breath, but he could see the big, toothy smile on her face. He leaned in and brushed her damp hair off her forehead then placed a firm kiss into her skin. 

“You did it. She’s here.” He whispered against her skin.

She pulled back so that her eyes met and smiled at him from ear to ear. “We’re parents.” She told him. 

He was a father. 

It seemed foolish, but the realisation hit him all at once. He was a father. He had a daughter. A teeny, tiny little person to protect with his life. The tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. 

After a minute or so, the midwife approached with a bundle of blankets in her arms. “Would you like to hold her?” She asked Brienne, but she shook her head. 

“I’ve been holding her for eight months, I think it’s Jaime’s turn.” She said with a smile. 

His eyes widened in shock. “Are you sure you want me to be the first one to hold her?” 

Brienne nodded assuredly and gestured for Jaime to take Evelyn from the nurse. Carefully, she nestled the baby into the crook of his right arm and he brought his left hand up to support her. Then, he perched on the edge of the bed beside Brienne so that she could see her too. 

She was truly the most beautiful thing Jaime had ever seen in his life. When she gazed up at him and he saw tiny versions of Brienne’s brilliant blue eyes staring at his face, he realised there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. “She’s perfect.” He said breathlessly as Brienne reached out a delicate finger to stroke the wisps of blonde hair on her head.

He heard a quiet sniffle realised Brienne was crying beside him, so he turned to her in concern. “Happy tears.” She clarified with a chuckle. “Very, very, unbelievably happy tears.”

-x- 

A short while later, Jaime allowed Brienne some privacy whilst the nurses cleaned her up and she changed into fresh pyjamas. He decided to venture back out to the waiting area to check if Margaery and Renly had left yet and to his surprise, they hadn’t. They were also now accompanied by Catelyn and her daughter Sansa. 

“How is she?” Sansa asked the moment he stepped through the door, standing excitedly to greet him, holding a huge stuffed bear in one hand.

Jamie grinned from ear to ear as he gazed at the four excited faces staring back at him. “She’s perfect.” He sighed and everyone stood to congratulate him. 

Catelyn pulled him into a hug and told him she was proud, then Renly shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder whilst Margaery and Sansa squealed over the photo’s on his phone that he’d taken of Brienne holding Evie. He realised in that moment how wrong he had been. He felt humbled that he was able to share this moment with so many people who truly cared. He was proud beyond belief to see everyone fawning over his perfect daughter. As he swapped mobile numbers with his new friends to keep them updated with baby photos, Jaime blushed at the realisation that the contacts list on his personal phone had literally doubled in size.

Jaime explained to them all that whilst Brienne was not allowed visitors at the moment, she would be happy to introduce everyone one they were settled at home. He was then incredibly grateful when Margaery and Sansa offered to go and pick up his car from his office so that he would be able to drive himself, Brienne and Evelyn home in a couple of days.

He found it amusing to watch the two women leave arm in arm, as they had never met before today, but he supposed that shared excitement could do that to people. After they left, Renly left shortly afterwards, followed by Catelyn, leaving him to sit in the waiting area on his own for a few moments before going back in to see Brienne. 

When he entered the room, she was dressed in clean pyjamas and laying on her side staring at Evelyn, who was in her cot beside the bed. Brienne’s gaze was so fixed on the infant, she didn’t even glance up when he entered the room. 

“I can’t stop looking at her.” She said softly. 

Jaime grinned and crossed the room to approach her bed from the other side, then sat gently on the edge of the bed beside her. He nestled the stuffed bear from Sansa in the crook of Brienne’s arm then began to idly stroke her hair as he too stared at Evelyn. 

“Happy birthday, little one.” He whispered and Brienne chuckled, shuffling back into his embrace. 

After what felt like an eternity of peacefully gazing at their child, he heard Brienne stifle a yawn. “Try and sleep.” He told her, pulling up the thin sheet from the foot of her bed, but she shook her head gently. 

“I’ll sleep later. I need to watch her.” She told him and he could hear the fear in her voice. Evelyn was born too early and despite the doctors insisting she was a healthy weight and well developed, Brienne was still afraid. 

He sighed, wishing he could absorb all of her fears and taken them himself. She’d had a long day and was worn out from the pain, so much so that she could barely keep her eyes open. “I will be right here. Go to sleep and I will watch her.” He assured her, kissing her hair. 

Brienne hesitated for a moment before sighing lightly. “Do you promise?” 

“I won’t take my eyes off her for a moment, you have my word.” 

-x-

He loved his daughter with all his heart. 

For a brief, shameful moment in the delivery room, he was afraid. He was terrified that he would look at their baby girl and see another mans face staring back at him. He worried that he would never feel that father daughter bond. But every moment that passed while he stared at her, he realised how wrong he had been. 

Before he fell in love with Brienne, he assumed that this type of intense, almost painful love was no more than a fictional ideal sold to those who would never feel it. And now, the love he felt for Brienne and Evelyn was quite literally, indescribable. 

Having said this however, he was frustrated that all of his pent up excitement had to be put on hold while the pair slept soundly. He could’ve watched them sleep for hours, but he also felt the urge to run through the halls of the hospital screaming for everyone to hear. He was a father.

He was then struck with a realisation that he was surprised took him so long. He hadn’t called his brother. 

Excitedly, he picked up his phone from his pocket and called Tyrion’s mobile, which rang though. Then, deciding that he might literally if he didn’t tell someone about his daughter soon, he called Tyrion’s office number, which connected straight away. 

“Hello, this is Tyrion Lannister.” He said professionally. 

“It’s me.” Jaime told him with a smirk, speaking quietly so that he didn’t wake the baby. 

“Oh shit. Jaime.” He said, sounding surprised. He heard a muffled voice in the background and assumed that Tyrion was not alone in his office. 

“Is this a bad time?” Jaime asked.

“Well, you’re on speaker phone and-”

Tyrion started, but Jaime was too excited to stop himself from interrupting. “Brienne’s had the baby. We’re at the hospital now.” He blurted out. 

“-father is here.” Tyrion finished at the same time. 

Fuck. 

“Who’s Brienne?” He heard his father’s booming voice ask. A voice that he hadn’t heard in over a year and a half. 

“Nobody, just his friend.” Tyrion said quickly, clearly trying to avoid drama with their father, but Jaime felt a flare of anger at his words. 

“She’s my girlfriend. She’s just given birth to my daughter.” Jaime snapped before he had the chance to change his mind.

“Seven hells.” He heard Tyrion mutter. Jaime knew that he’d made a mistake in telling his father before the words had even left his mouth, since he didn’t wish to imply in any way that he wanted his father back in his life. 

“We will see you at the hospital.” Tywin said curtly before disconnecting the call. 

Fuck. What had he done?

-x- 

Jaime paced the room anxiously, not taking his eyes of Evelyn, true to his word. Tyrion wasn’t answering his phone so he couldn’t beg him not to come, and he couldn’t leave the room because he’d sworn to watch Evie whilst Brienne slept, which meant he couldn’t meet them in the hospital entrance to protect Brienne either. 

He took a deep breath to calm himself and sat back down beside the baby, then tickled her palm with his finger so that she would grasp onto him. Everything would be fine. When they arrived he would simply get up and calmly, ask them to leave and that would be the end of it. 

Except, when they arrived, things didn’t go to plan. 

A nurse showed them into Brienne’s room with a smile, seemingly unaware of the potential shitshow that was about to unfold. 

“I’d like you to leave-” Jaime started meekly, but he was cut off my his father’s assertive strides into the room followed by Tyrion who looked at him apologetically. Then, almost poetically, the door slammed behind him. 

Evie was startled awake at the sound and began to cry loudly, which in turn woke up Brienne, who sat up frantically. “Evelyn?” She mumbled sleepily, before she’d even opened her eyes. Once she’d opened her eyes, she inhaled sharply as she saw the two unfamiliar men in her room and stretched out her hand for the baby’s cot. 

“Jaime, what’s going on?” She stammered. 

“It’s okay.” He told her, then gently picked up the wailing infant and placed her in Brienne’s arms. She clutched the baby close to herself protectively as she shushed her back to sleep and Jaime glared at his father angrily. “Brienne, this is my father.” He sighed and her eyes widened in shock. 

Tyrion coughed awkwardly, diffusing a little of the tension and Jaime laughed. “And this is my brother Tyrion.”

“It’s lovely to meet you at long last, Brienne. Please let me offer my congratulations.” Tyrion smiled warmly, but she didn’t smile back. 

Brienne’s eyes flicked between the three men and then down at the baby in her arms. She looked terrified. “I’m not supposed to have visitors.” She said quietly. 

“I know, I’m sorry. I asked them to leave. I would’ve met them at the car park but I promised you I’d watch Evie.” He smiled apologetically and she smiled affectionately back before his father coughed to get their attention. 

He looked Brienne up and down, quirked his eyebrow at Jaime then turned back to Brienne. “You’re very young.” Tywin said dryly. 

Brienne’s breath caught in her throat as she was seemingly caught off guard by his abruptness. Jaime perched on the bed beside her and curled his arm protectively around her shoulder, assuring her that she didn’t have to say anything.

“I am twenty eight.” She replied, tightening her jaw and tilting her chin upwards. Jaime smirked, she never was one to back down from a challenge, after all. 

Tywin rolled his eyes at the pair. “Are you after my son for his money?” 

“Father.” Tyrion warned, but Brienne beat him to it. 

“How dare you.” She snapped and he could tell she was trying not to raise her voice for the sake of the baby so he rubbed soothing circles on her back. 

“I just can’t imagine any other reason you’d be interested in a one handed man who is 15 years your senior.” Tywin said coldly and Jaime could feel the anger radiating from Brienne beside him. Jaime was used to his father’s constant attempts to put him down or belittle him, but this was Brienne’s first time experiencing it in person. 

Brienne took a few deep breaths. “I’d like you to leave now.” She practically hissed and Jaime was proud. She wasn’t rising for his taunts and she certainly didn’t have the time for his bullshit. 

Then, surprisingly, Tywin held up a hand to silence her. “My dear, now that you are a parent, I can assume you understand that all we want is what’s best for our children.”

“Never compare her to yourself again.” Jaime snapped, standing up from the bed beside Brienne to walk towards his father. “She’s been a better parent to Evelyn in the past hours than you have ever been.” 

“Jaime.” His father said warningly, but Jaime did not back down. He glanced over to Tyrion who hadn’t spoken, but Tyrion simply stared back in anticipation. 

“Why are you here?” Jaime asked his father sceptically, sensing that Tyrion knew something that he didn’t. “Surely you didn’t come here just to insult the mother of my child only hours after she’s given birth?” 

“I came to give you this.” Tywin said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out an old looking ring box. “It was your mother’s.” He added, in a much softer tone.

Jaime looked quickly back at Brienne, who’s eyes had widened in fear. Her breathing quickened as she glanced around the room anxiously. “Father, I don’t think now is the time.” Tyrion said, cutting the tension. 

“Of course now is the time.” Tywin snapped, handing Jaime the ring. “Take it.” He insisted. Jaime felt his whole body fill with rage. He wasn’t doing this because he cared, he was doing this because he didn’t want the embarrassment of them being unmarried parents, just like when he had tried to force Cersei to stay married to her cheating husband for the sake of appearances. 

“Leave.” Jaime yelled, regretting it instantly as he startled the baby, causing her to cry. He moved back over to Brienne’s bedside where she rocked Evie and gripped her shoulder apologetically. 

Tywin inhaled sharply and narrowed his eyes, then placed the ring box down pointedly on the table at the foot of Brienne’s bed, before leaving the room without a final word. 

Tyron sighed deeply. “I tried to stop him.” He said and Jaime nodded his head in understanding. “I hope this has not soured your opinion of me, because I would very much like to be properly introduced to you and my niece. When you’re ready, of course.” He smiled at Brienne. 

Brienne nodded her head in response. “I’d like that.” She said quietly. Jaime could still sense the stress of what had just happened thick in her voice. 

Once Tyrion had left, Jaime turned quickly to Brienne. “I’m so sorry-” He started.

“I don’t want the ring.” She said at the same time.

“Oh.” Jaime said, trying not to sound hurt. She had every right not to want to marry him. In the months leading up to Evie’s birth, they hadn’t even talked about marriage, he had no idea how she felt about the matter. But it still hurt him to hear the woman he loved say those words. “That’s okay. We, um, we don’t have to get married.”

She sighed softly in amusement. “I didn’t mean that I don’t want us to get married someday.” She told him and Jaime looked at her in confusion. “It’s a little late for me to start getting cold feet don’t you think?” She chuckled, nodding at the baby in her arms. “All I mean is that today has been overwhelming enough as it is, for now, all I want is for us to enjoy our time as parents. Everything else, like marriage or your overbearing father can wait.” 

Jaime smiled widely and pressed a chaste kiss against her lips. “I love you. I want that too.”

She then shuffled up in the bed so that he could slip in beside her. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and rested his head against hers. For a very long time, neither of them spoke, they simply stared at their daughter in adoration. 

“Will you take her, I can barely keep my eyes open.” Brienne mumbled sleepily. 

“Always.” He told her, dropping a kiss into her hair and lifting the infant from her arms. 

He crossed the room to place Evie back in her cot but as he did, she nuzzled gently into his chest, so he decided to hold her for a little while longer. As gently as he could, he sat down in the chair beside Brienne’s bed. 

At almost forty three years old, he’d been given a chance to start again. A brand new life, with the woman he loved beside him and their child in his arms. It still felt like a dream. 

He wondered if the creeping fear in the back of his mind would ever go away. The fear that Evelyn’s biological parent would somehow come back and demand the right to be her father. He suspected that it would take a long time to put his anxieties on that matter to rest, but for now all he could do was clutch his baby girl and repeat the words ‘you are her father’ over and over in his head like a mantra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has followed the story this far! The final chapter is intended to be an epilogue, but I have considered leaving it here instead, so please let me know if an epilogue is something you'd like to see.


	13. Chapter 13

_ \- Epilogue -  _

 

Brienne woke up on the morning of her thirtieth birthday and a soft smile immediately graced her face. The sun shone in through the blinds in her bedroom, casting a soft glow over the room. She didn’t even want to know the time, as Jaime had made her turn off her alarm and have a lie in for her birthday so she expected it was quite late. She glanced over to Jaime’s side of the bed, but already knew that he would be awake with their baby daughter. He doted on their child more than anything and woke up earlier and earlier every day just to see her.

 

Then, as though on queue, she heard Evelyn’s high pitched, screechy giggles echoing through the apartment. She smiled fondly to herself at the beautiful sound.  

 

Evelyn was now fourteen months old and filled their lives with so much joy it was incomprehensible. Briefly, she considered going back to sleep, but she couldn’t resist the urge to go and join Jaime and Evie in the kitchen for any longer. 

 

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and pulled herself out of bed, but not before taking her engagement ring out of the drawer of her bedside table and sliding it back onto her finger. 

 

When Tywin gave Jaime the ring on that day in the hospital and Jamie promised to wait until the right time, she had been expecting him to plan something extravagant. Every time he took her out to dinner, or to anywhere special at all, she was paranoid that it would be the night he would propose. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to marry him, because she truly did, it was that she was terrified of any public spectacle being made of her. She dreaded the judgemental stares questioning why such a gorgeous man would be proposing to someone like her. 

 

When it happened, however, it was perfect. Evelyn was around six months old and was in the worst phase of teething yet. She howled in pain all night long, unless one of them stayed awake and held a chilled teething ring against her aching gums. Brienne’s heart broke for their baby girl and Jaime was a nervous wreck for weeks. Then, one night, it simply ended. They put her to bed and waited for the screams shortly afterwards, but they never came. She slept straight through the night. 

 

Instead of catching up on sleep, like normal people would do, they stayed up all night long. Jaime ordered takeout and they curled up on the sofa together, no television, no music, no distractions, they just talked for hours on end. It was the first time in weeks that they’d been able to enjoy any down time together and they were going to make the most out of it.

 

In the small hours of the morning, they were uncontrollably laughing whilst reminiscing about the early days of their friendship and how so much had changed in just one year. Brienne was practically crying with laughter as Jaime recalled the time he had become uncomfortably aroused because of the way she ate lasagne. Then suddenly, he stopped laughing, looked at her for a moment then got up to leave the room. He dropped a kiss onto her forehead and told her he would be right back. 

 

When he returned, he had the ring box in his hand. 

 

_ “Brienne, I know I said I’d wait until the right time, but I can’t think of a better time than right now. I want to spend the rest of my life like this, staying up all night talking and laughing with you when we should be sleeping. All that time ago, I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with my pregnant roommate, it just happened, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love our life. I love our daughter. And I love you. Thinking about my life before has made me realise that I will never be able to picture my life without you again. So, will you marry me?” _

 

She’d said yes, although she was surprised that she’d been able to, given the fact that she’d started crying the moment he started speaking. They were in no rush to get married straight away, and decided to leave it a little while, so that Evie could be a part of the day. For now, they were just living in their perfect little bubble. 

 

As she walked through the halls of their apartment, the sounds of screechy laughter grew louder and louder, but nothing could’ve prepared her for what she saw when she turned the corner into their kitchen. 

 

Both Jaime and Evelyn were covered head to to in flour. Evie sat in her highchair facing Jaime, giggling and clapping her tiny hands whilst Jaime made a show of attempting to flip pancakes. From the wide spread of batter across the kitchen, she could tell it wasn’t going well. 

 

“Ah Brienne!” Jaime beamed as she stepped into the room. “I’m glad you’re up, look at the mess that Evelyn’s made!” He said jokingly, setting the pan down and moving across the room to pull her into an embrace. 

 

“Jaime, you’re covered in flour.” She groaned as Jaime wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and lifted her off the ground. 

 

“Happy birthday.” He said excitedly, ignoring her protests and twirling her around in a circle. 

 

She laughed loudly at his foolishness until he put her back on the ground then moved to lift Evie out of her highchair. “Oh dear baby girl, what’s happened to you?” She chuckled as she dusted flour off her nose. 

 

Evie then screeched out the sound that to most people would sound illegible, but Jaime and Brienne recognised as ‘mama’. She also had noises for ‘dada’, ‘yes’ and ‘no’. They were Brienne’s favourite sounds in the world. 

 

Jaime wrapped his arms around both of them and planted a kiss on both of their heads. “Happy birthday, my love.” He whispered softly in her ear. 

 

After a half hearted attempt to brush the flour off Evie, then Jamie, she allowed Jaime to plate up the few pancakes he’d managed to make. When he gestured to the table for her to sit down, she noticed that the table was littered with various presents and gift bags. 

 

“Jaime, you shouldn’t have-” She started softly, but he cut her off with a shake of his head.

 

“I didn’t. These are all from other people.” He beamed. 

 

Taken aback slightly, Brienne glanced between Jaime and the table. Surely not? He noded softly, encouraging her to sit down and so she did, sitting Evie in her lap as she began to sift through the gifts. She didn't open anything, as she needed her free hand to hold onto Evie, but she looked at each one of the tags. 

 

First, was an elegant looking, beautifully wrapped box from Cersei. Brienne and Jaime had been through a rough patch with Cersei, when they decided to tell her that Jamie wasn’t Evie’s biological parent, since Tyrion knew already. It had been difficult and there had been many harsh words exchanged, but Brienne understood her fierce need to protect her brother and so she didn’t blame her. Eventually, she came to realise that Jaime was Evelyn’s father, no matter what, and so she accepted whole heartedly as a part of their family. 

 

Tywin had taken a little longer to warm up to the idea, and had demanded that Jaime give back his mother’s ring, which Jaime had refused. It had taken him until Evie was around seven months old before he began showing an interest in her. At first, Jaime was determined that his father not be allowed a place in their lives, but Brienne eventually talked him around. She supported his decisions no matter what, but she wanted more than anything for Evie to have a big family, since she had spent so much of her own life feeling lonely and secluded. She would do anything to make sure Evie never felt that way. She managed to convince Jaime to let Tywin see his granddaughter occasionally, and slowly they were working on rebuilding their relationship. He’d even sent Brienne a card for her birthday, which she considered progress. 

 

The next gift she picked up was an expensive looking bottle of wine, which she didn’t even need to read the label of to know it was from Tyrion. He doted on Evelyn from the very beginning and Brienne would always be grateful for him for welcoming her into his family without hesitation. They had a lot more in common than Brienne first thought, due to the fact that they had both grown up as outsiders as children, so Brienne was always glad to see him. 

 

Renly and Loras were the givers of the next present she picked up. Brienne had gone back to work part time when Evie turned six months old, then full time just a few months ago. Her boss Renly had supported her the entire time and done everything he could to make sure she didn’t lose any of her clients and contacts. Her work at the firm was now more successful than ever and she couldn’t be happier. Whilst she had a very professional working relationship with her boss, her and Jaime also had a good friendship with the couple, especially since Loras’ sister had started dating Brienne’s best friend. 

 

Margaery and Sansa had grown close over their time as unofficial aunties to Evelyn and Brienne adored them both. So, when they had announced after a few months that they were dating, she was over the moon. They worked perfectly together and Brienne was sure that, given how much they loved Evie, they may consider adopting children of their own. Of course, that would be in the distant future, as not every couple wished to start their new relationship with a child, as her and Jaime had done, but she was excited nevertheless. She was also incredibly grateful of Sansa for sticking by her side and being her confidant throughout her pregnancy and she smiled affectionately when she saw her name on the next gift label. 

 

The final gifts were from an assortment of fellow parents that she’d met at Evie’s preschool. Brienne had never been the most social of people, but Evie was such an adorable, friendly baby that she found herself being pulled into conversations whenever she was at the school gates. It was heartwarming to know that so many of the parents had taken the time to do something nice for her. 

 

Suddenly, Brienne found herself getting a little overwhelmed and she clutched Evelyn to her chest. Two years ago, her only friends had been Sansa and Jaime. And even then, Jaime could barely have been considered a friend, since their relationship was based on japes and insults. Now, somehow, she had all these people that cared about her and it was all thanks to Evie and Jaime. She had a family again. Brienne had to swallow a lump in her throat to stop herself from crying. 

 

As Jaime walked over with her breakfast balanced in his hand, she tried to wipe away the first hints of tears, but it was too late as he had already noticed. “What’s happened?” He said urgently, setting the plate down then stroking her cheek with his hand. 

 

She shook her head and chuckled through the tears. “Nothing.” She grinned. “I’m just really happy and I love you so much.” She sniffled slightly. 

 

Jaime smiled at her affectionately and kissed her on the head. “I love you too.” He told her softly. “And we love you too, baby girl.” He cooed, tickling Evie under her chin causing her to giggle. “Now wait there while I get your present from us.” He told her with another kiss. 

 

By the time Jaime returned, Brienne was taking photos of Evie who was sneakily stealing strawberries from the edge of Brienne’s plate. Her heart was filled with so much love and awe for the tiny little person sitting in her lap. When Jaime came back, he was carrying a large flat box and he set it down on the table in front of her with a grin. 

 

Jaime moved to crouch beside where Evie sat on Brienne’s lap so that she wouldn’t fall whilst she lifted the box lid. When she opened the box, Brienne’s jaw fell open in surprise. Jaime had had framed a cast of Evelyn’s hands and feet, along with an engraved plaque with her name and date of birth. 

 

“Jaime… This is beautiful.” Brienne said softly and Jaime grinned back at her with pride.

 

“I can’t take all the credit, Evie did most of the work.” He smirked. 

 

“I love it.” She beamed, leaning in to give him a soft kiss. 

 

“I have something else for you too, but we have to go out for it.” He said excitedly, standing up and gesturing to the corridor for her to go and get dressed. 

 

Brienne rolled her eyes and laughed. “Can’t I at least finish my breakfast?” 

 

“Yes, of course. Sorry.” He laughed. “I’m just excited.” He said, grinning from ear to ear. 

 

-x- 

 

“Jaime, I am not wearing a blindfold in the car.” She laughed, tossing the tie that he had passed her back towards him. 

 

“Please.” He whined, thrusting the tie back towards her. “I want it to be a surprise when we get there.”

 

She narrowed her eyes at him sceptically. “What if I promise to close my eyes?” She offered with a groan. 

 

He smirked once more. “That will do nicely.” 

 

On the drive to their mystery location, Brienne stayed true to her promise and covered her eyes, enjoying Evie’s babbling sounds from the backseat. She laughed loudly as Jaime enthusiastically joined in with Evie’s conversation, even though they had no idea what she was saying. 

 

“And then what happened?” He asked Evie with a gasp. “You’re kidding!” He followed up, as she babbled away in content. 

 

Before too long, the car had slowed to a stop. “Don’t open your eyes just yet.” Jaime told her, followed by a peck on the cheek and she sighed with a smile. She heard him get out of the car, grab Evelyn from the back seat then open the passenger side door. She unclipped her own seat belt then allowed Jaime to guide her out of the car and towards their destination. She curled her fingers around the bicep of his right arm, as he held Evie with his left. 

 

He guided her a short distance, then she heard the sound of a door opening and he lead her into a building, then a little further once inside. “Okay, you can open your eyes.”

 

Brienne opened her eyes, squinting slightly as she adjusted to the light, then looked around the room in confusion. They were standing in an empty room of somebody's house. The room was large, with beautiful dark wood floors and creme walls. At one end was a kitchen with an island and in the middle of one of the walls was an ornate fireplace. Out of the back window she could see a big expanse of grass and through the door where they’d come into the room, she could see a grand entrance hallway which presumably lead to the rest of the house. 

 

“Am I missing something, because it seems like we’re standing in an empty house.” She said in confusion as Jaime placed Evie gently on the ground, where she proceeded to toddle around the room happily. 

 

“We are standing in an empty house.” He confirmed and she lifted her eyebrow in question. “It’s  _ our  _ empty house.” He said softly. 

 

Tears rushed to her eyes before she could stop them and she shook her head in disbelief. They’d been considering moving, but they’d never been able to work house viewings into her busy schedule. “Jaime, you didn’t…” She whispered. 

 

“I did.” He grinned, stepping towards her. 

 

She smiled widely, still shaking her head. “How did you afford this?” She said, looking in awe around the room once more. 

 

“Don’t worry about that.” He said, curling his arms around her waist tightly. 

 

She practically choked back a sob before cupping both her hands around Jaime’s face and pulling him for a searing kiss. She couldn’t believe how truly blessed she was to have him in her life. He was the most caring, loving, gorgeous, dangerously insane man she’d ever me. Because let’s be honest, what sane person gave a house as a birthday present? 

 

Their heated kiss was broken by the sound of Evie toddling around them, weaving in and out of their legs. Jaime quirked his eyebrow, as an assurance that this would be continued later, then bent down to scoop Evie up off the floor. She squealed with laughter as he twirled her round in a circle then brought her in close to his chest. “What do you think of our new home, baby girl?”

 

She babbled incoherently in response and he nodded along as though he was listening. “She loves it.” He told Brienne once she’d finished. Then he lifted Evie to sit on his shoulders and held out his arm for Brienne. “Care for a tour?” He smirked. 

 

-x-

 

A little while later, after Brienne had excitedly explored every room, they sat on the grass in the backyard, enjoying the sun. Jaime lay with his head in Brienne’s lap and she combed his hair with her fingers as he played with Evie. “So, what do you think?” He asked, then hummed in content as Brienne dragged her nails across his scalp. 

 

“I love it.” She said genuinely. “But it may be a little big for just the three of us.” She laughed softly. 

 

Jaime furrowed his eyebrows briefly then moved from her lap so that he could face her. “About that…” He said hesitantly and Brienne nodded for him to continue. “I was thinking that maybe, if you want to I mean, that we could think about um… having another? Another child, that is.” He said, fumbling over his words and blushing deeply. He ran his hand through his hair nervously and Brienne’s face broke into a huge smile. 

 

“Jaime, I would love nothing more.” She said softly. She’d always wanted a big family for her daughter and this bigger space made that all the more possible. 

 

Jaime tensed his jaw and wiped the tears from his eyes, then let out a noise that was a cross between a laugh and a sigh of relief. Then, he picked up Evie from the grass beside them and brought her face close to his. “Did you hear that, baby girl? You’re going to be a big sister.” He told her, then kissed her on the end of the nose. 

 

Brienne stifled back tears of her own. 

 

Three years ago, she had posted an add for her spare room in an effort to curb her loneliness. Now, she could safely say she would never feel that way for the rest of her life. She had Jaime and Evie, all their friends and family, and soon their family could be growing. She wished briefly that he father could’ve been alive to see it, but she knew that they would always carry a piece of him through Evelyn. 

 

“Hey, don’t cry.” Jaime whispered then pressed a kiss onto her cheek. “Evie, tell your mother she had to be happy on her birthday.” He teased, tickling Evie gently. 

 

“Happee mama.” She screeched and Jaime and Brienne looked at one another in shock. She’d made sounds that resembled words before, but never so clearly and never two at once. Seeing their excitement, Evie babbled the words over and over again as Jaime and Brienne praised her. 

 

Brienne’s heart melted. She was sure that Evelyn didn’t really know what the words meant, but her choice seemed so fitting. 

 

Brienne was happier now than she ever thought it was possible to be.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much if you're stuck by this story to the end. And welcome if you sort by complete works only and have only just found this fic! 
> 
> I have tried to include all of the suggestions about what you'd like to see from this story, so I do hope the ending meets your expectations. 
> 
> Please do let me know what you think! And, now that this fic is over I am searching for a new prompt or concept to work with, so any ideas are more than welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I am planning on having this as a slow burn, multi chaptered fic, but this is just a short little insight as to what it will be like. Please let me know what you think or if you feel it is worth continuing!


End file.
